Walks you can reach from Ashford by train

Beginner-friendly: A gigantic well-signposted park. It’s completely fine to deviate from the suggested route — explore as you like! The lunch stop is a simple café, so no messing around with booking a table in advance.

Windsor Great Park

Windsor Castle

Windsor

Time: 5h–9h30

3 lunch spots: Windsor Great Park (2h30–5h in) — the King And Castle, or Savill Garden Visitor Centre Cafe; plus Water Lilies at Windsor Great Park (3h–5h30 in)

3 end-of-walk rewards: the Two Brewers Pub, the Prince Harry, or the Royal Windsor

Source: Trains2Green.

Parkland, lake shores, ornamental gardens, light woodland, deer park, tree-lined avenue and historic town streets.

Woodland: two fifths under tree cover.

Windsor Great Park

Windsor Castle

Windsor

Time: 3h30–7h30

1 lunch spot: Savill Garden Visitor Centre Cafe (1h30–3h30 in)

4 end-of-walk rewards: the Prince Harry, the Carpenters Arms, the Royal Windsor, or the Boatman

Adapted from: Time Out Country Walks Volume 1.

Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.

Loop from Egham through Windsor Great Park and the Long Walk to the Magna Carta memorials at Runnymede.

The Windsor Great Park: A vast royal deer park south of Windsor Castle, crossed by the Long Walk.

Runnymede: The Thames-side meadow where King John sealed the Magna Carta in 1215.

Time: 3h30–7h

Walk details: Walking Post (tips, photos and local insights).

Flat urban riverside paths, small river corridors, local parks, Thames towpath, luxury riverside houses and Palladian parkland.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

River Thames path, open parkland, woodland, deer park, grassy slopes and hilltop views.

Richmond Park: A vast royal park home to herds of red and fallow deer.

Time: 3h

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Waterways, a foot ferry and D'Oyly Carte Island, past Dumsey Meadow, the Thames Path and the Wey Navigation.

Waterway: three quarters beside rivers and canals.

Dumsey Meadow: A rare surviving Thames-side water meadow with open access for wild swimming.

D'Oyly Carte Island: A small Thames island that was the home of Victorian impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte.

Time: 3h–6h

Walk details: Walking Post (tips, photos and local insights).

Flat urban start, parkland, deer park, historic royal landscape, ornamental gardens and lake.

Time: 4h

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Suburban streets, open common, landscaped park, woodland riverside path, Royal Park grassland, suburban roads and riverside Thames path.

Time: 3h30

Warnings: Can be muddy.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Reverse direction: Slow Ways (inc. GPX).

Recommended: A scenic, mostly traffic-free route using waterside and green paths out of Maidenhead through Braywick Nature Reserve, then crossing the Thames on the Summerleaze footbridge to follow a wooded stretch of the Thames Path and before leaving the river at Boveney to cross meadows and pass under railway arches into Eton. Mostly flat apart from the bridges; can get muddy after rain in Braywick Park and along the riverside. Passes Dorney Lake; no refreshment stops between Bray and Eton, though there are picnic places. Take a toilet break at Braywick Leisure Centre as facilities are sparse afterwards.

Woodland: two fifths under tree cover.

Time: 3h–6h

End-of-walk reward: Plenty of refreshment options in Eton, with Windsor just across the river.

Warnings: The riverside path is rugged and can get very muddy after rain. Cycle barriers on the Cut Foot Bridge. Direct access to the river along a long stretch — watch for tripping hazards.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Recommended: A wildly joyful route; so lovely; superb in summer. A wildly enjoyable, mostly flat and largely traffic-free route following the riverside at Richmond and Kingston and crossing leafy Ham via quiet residential streets and green common land and including Petersham meadows. Generally smooth surfaces with a couple of gates and a few narrow paths; the Richmond riverside path can flood at high tide (a road detour exists). You may pass the herd of cows grazing at Petersham meadows. Toilets just inside Petersham Gate at Richmond Park; a short detour reaches Ham House (National Trust).

Ham House: A grand 17th-century house and gardens beside the Thames at Ham.

Time: 2h–4h

Lunch: Refreshments at Petersham and along the river at both Richmond and Kingston.

1 end-of-walk reward: Canbury Secret Cafe

Warnings: The riverside footpath at Richmond can flood at high tide — detour via the A307 Petersham Road, with several escape points up to the road. The diversion behind St Peter's church is narrow, poorly lit and can be muddy.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Recommended: A really easy-to-follow and direct and pleasant route making the most of the Basingstoke Canal and Wey Navigation towpaths. The first section out of Woking is mostly paved; the stretch along the Wey is rougher ground and can be muddy in places after rain. A gradual rise as the locks raise the canal level; away from traffic and mostly quiet. Follows the Basingstoke Canal and Wey Navigation towpaths.

Waterway: nine tenths along the Basingstoke Canal.

Woodland: two fifths under tree cover.

Time: 2h30–5h

Lunch: There are no refreshments along the way, but it is not a long route.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Long walk.

Woodland: two fifths under tree cover.

Windsor Castle

Time: 4h–8h30

Walk details: Railwalks.