Walks you can reach from Virginia Water by train

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.

River meadows, gravel-pit lakes, nature reserves, country lanes, mixed and pine woodland, heathland, golf course, soft fruit farms and historic market town.

Time: 6h

Warnings: Flood risk in places.

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

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).

Heathland, Horsell Common and a Peace Garden; Chobham Common, Rhododendron Walkway, Basingstoke Canal into Woking.

Woodland: half under tree cover.

Chobham Common: The largest National Nature Reserve in the South East, a fine example of lowland heath.

Horsell Common: Sandy common made famous as the Martian landing site in H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds.

Time: 3h30–7h

Warnings: Longcross has no facilities and trains roughly twice an hour; buy single tickets as the stations are on different lines.

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

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).

Longer heath-and-forest crossing on the Three Castles Path, past Englemere Pond, Swinley Park forest tracks and Bagshot Heath. Some of east Berkshire's finest open country.

Englemere Pond: A nature reserve centred on a heathland pond near Ascot, rich in dragonflies and wetland plants.

Lunch: Café at The Lookout, and the Coral Reef waterpark, both roughly midway.

Warnings: Crossing the A322 bridge on a busy, narrow road is the most challenging part.

Walk details: Blackwater Valley Nature Walks (tips, photos, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

River path, urban suburbs, new housing estates, tranquil pastures, ancient woodland and mud-prone bridleway.

Warnings: Can be muddy.

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

Meadows, plantation woodland and heath, through buttercup meadows and Gorrick Plantation to the Heath Lake viewing platform. Rich in birds and wildflowers.

Heath Lake: A Site of Special Scientific Interest lake with a viewing platform, surrounded by woodland.

Warnings: Paths can be muddy after rain.

Walk details: Blackwater Valley Nature Walks (tips, photos, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

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).

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.