After a reasonably easy trip around the M25 we arrived just before 10:00 at the Savill Garden Visitor Centre for our morning coffee before boarding our coach again for the guided tour through the historic Windsor Great Park. Our enthusiastic guide Helen, who normally worked in the administrative offices of The Crown Estate was pleased to join us on our trip around the Park and to tell us the history of her favourite places. After entering through the Bishops Gate we made our way past the gate house to Cumberland Lodge still painted pink in memory of the Queen Mother to the Guards Polo Grounds some of which were being resurfaced to improve the drainage.
After pausing at the Prince Consort Statue we made our way to the first stop at the Jubilee Statue from where we could just make out Windsor Castle through the mist.
Re-boarding the coach we made our way through The Village where a majority of the Estate workers live (including a golf cub) to the Deer Park and up to the Copper Statute of King George III where we stopped for the second time and a little closer to the Castle.
We were fortunate to see two carriages from the Royal household exercising on the long walk
and some intrepid members climbed up to get a closer look at the Statute.
We returned to the Savill Garden Visitor Centre for lunch and afterwards we were given a guided tour of the gardens by three knowledgable guides who most generously asked for their gratuities to be given to a garden charity (Norman arranged a donation to Horatio's Garden).
Whilst walking around the garden we were told by our guide that coach tours through the Park are rather special as they only allow three or four a month, so congratulations to Norman Rodda our Social Secretary for arranging our privileged visit.
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