Tag Archives: Berkshire

What is Going on With This Kite?

Windsor Great Park has a lot of red kites. As we walked along one path, it seemed like there were more of them than we could count. The breeze along the ridge made it easy for them as they swooped back and forth looking for food. Mum and Nancy pointed me at a tree along the path. On the branch, one of the kites had landed and was surveying the scene. Something about it seemed odd as I took the shot, but it was only when I got home and looked at the images that I realised that it seems to have a rather wonky beak. I’ve no idea whether this makes life tricky or not but seemed healthy enough.

A Complex Roof Structure

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When we go walking in Windsor Great Park, we tend to park at Savill Gardens and enter the park from there. During the visit with Mum, we went into the centre that they have built to have something at the café and check out the shop. The internal structure of the roof that they have built is really cool. Some great use of timber and structural analysis must have been needed to create something this interesting. I hope you like it as much as we did.

Kestrel That Isn’t Shy

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During a walk through Windsor Great Park, we were about to turn onto a new path when we noticed a few people stopped a short distance away. If there are a few people all doing nothing and looking in one direction, there is a good chance there is something interesting that they are looking at. Sure enough, there was a kestrel sitting on the fence. Whenever I see something like this, I figure there is a chance that it is going to get spooked and fly off so grab a quick shot before it is too late.

However, this bird didn’t seem in the least bit bothered. It was well aware of the small crowd that it had attracted but no one was getting close, so it seemed content to just sit there. I walked in a new direction to try and get a better angle on it – still convinced that it would scoot but no. It happily stayed there while I got a different look at it. Having achieved that, it was time to continue with our walk but, as I looked back, it was still sitting there. Maybe it had just eaten and was now digesting lunch?

The Long Walk’s Lesser-Known Sibling

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The Long Walk in Windsor Great Park is very well known. A long, straight road the goes from Windsor Castle up to a statue of George III is something many visitors to Windsor will take in. However, it isn’t the only route radiating from the castle across the park. Queen Anne’s Ride is an even longer route. Just as straight but not paved and with the section within the town built over, it is a nicer section to visit.

Because it isn’t as well known, there aren’t anything like the number of visitors. You can often feel like you are alone when you are there because any other visitors are likely to be well away from you. Because it is grassy, it is more comfortable to stroll along. There is more undulation, though, so you have pluses and minuses (or ups and downs if I am being literal).

Halfway along the route is a memorial to 1,000 years of the High Sheriff. This circular stone monument has a hole through the middle if you want to look through it. It is a large separation from the memorial and the castle, so I played with focus stacking to get both of them in focus for one image. However, this isn’t the most significant memorial.

Go further from the castle and you come to a statue of Queen Elizabeth II on horseback. Unlike the statue of George III which has him dressed like a Roman emperor, this statue has her looking like she has just ridden out from the castle and is looking back towards it. It is a far nicer statue. If you are walking in Windsor Great Park, I would certainly recommend that you make sure to include Queen Anne’s Ride as part of your route.

The Long Walk from Both Ends

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Windsor Great Park has a long, straight road that aligns with the castle, known as the Long Walk. We started our day out in Windsor itself and walked around the castle to the beginning of the Long Walk. I took some photos looking out into the park with the many people walking up the road. However, we weren’t going to join them yet.

We drove to the other side of the Great Park to have a longer walk (get it) around the parklands. As part of this route, we did end up at the statue of George III on his horse at the other end of the Long Walk. From here you have a great view back towards the castle. There were loads of people at the statue. Most had clearly walked up from the town and would be heading back. We were heading in a different direction, though.

Airliners Over Windsor

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Our day out in Windsor was not about photographing aircraft. However, the place is so close to the flightpath for Heathrow that I could hardly avoid the things. When in the town, we had a few pass very close by and it would have been churlish not to grab a shot or two. Later, as we walked through the Great Park, the jets on approach to Heathrow were visible above the castle as they were on final approach. Rather distant for a clear shot but still worth a pop.

Keep a Safe Distance from These Guys

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This post is another on a bit of a theme at the moment. While walking through Windsor Great Park, we made a loop that brought us to the statue of George III at the end of the Long Walk. As we started to head back to our starting point, I realised the route we were taking was not really the best, so we retraced our steps and headed south down the hill. Almost immediately, we got a surprise.

Just a short distance away from the statue with the many visitors that were there on a sunny weekend afternoon was a large herd of deer. This included some quite chunky looking stags that seemed quite aware of our presence. We gave them a wide berth and, while a grabbed a few shots with the long lens, I didn’t fancy attracting any more of their attention than we already had.

Windsor Castle from Above and Below

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We took a visit to Windsor during the summer. The town centre is dominated by the castle, so I was bound to get some photos of it while we were walking around. Because you are so close to it, it is hard to get a feel for the whole thing. The view from out in the Great Park gives you a better understanding but I will save that for another post.

However, I did fly over the castle while on approach to Heathrow while returning from my travels. The approach path was just above the castle and my view of it was rather tight with the windows of the A320 not providing the best clarity. However, the view from above does let you see the whole castle.