Discover 20 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Slough (United Kingdom). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Windsor Castle, Stoke Park, and Windsor Racecourse. Also, be sure to include St George's Chapel in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Slough (England).
Table of Contents
Windsor Castle
Royal residence in Windsor, England. Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history.
The original castle was built in the 11th century after the Norman invasion of England by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I (who reigned 1100–1135), it has been used by the reigning monarch and is the longest-occupied palace in Europe. The castle's lavish early 19th-century state apartments were described by early 20th century art historian Hugh Roberts as "a superb and unrivalled sequence of rooms widely regarded as the finest and most complete expression of later Georgian taste". Inside the castle walls is the 15th-century St George's Chapel, considered by the historian John Martin Robinson to be "one of the supreme achievements of English Perpendicular Gothic" design.
Originally designed to protect Norman dominance around the outskirts of London and oversee a strategically important part of the River Thames, Windsor Castle was built as a motte-and-bailey, with three wards surrounding a central mound. Gradually replaced with stone fortifications, the castle withstood a prolonged siege during the First Barons' War at the start of the 13th century. Henry III built a luxurious royal palace within the castle during the middle of the century, and Edward III went further, rebuilding the palace to make an even grander set of buildings in what would become "the most expensive secular building project of the entire Middle Ages in England". Edward's core design lasted through the Tudor period, during which Henry VIII and Elizabeth I made increasing use of the castle as a royal court and centre for diplomatic entertainment.
Windsor Castle survived the tumultuous period of the English Civil War, when it was used as a military headquarters by Parliamentary forces and a prison for Charles I. At the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, Charles II rebuilt much of Windsor Castle with the help of the architect Hugh May, creating a set of extravagant Baroque interiors. After a period of neglect during the 18th century, George III and George IV renovated and rebuilt Charles II's palace at colossal expense, producing the current design of the state apartments, full of Rococo, Gothic and Baroque furnishings. Queen Victoria made a few minor changes to the castle, which became the centre for royal entertainment for much of her reign. Windsor Castle was used as a refuge by the royal family during the Luftwaffe bombing campaigns of the Second World War and survived a fire in 1992. It is a popular tourist attraction, a venue for hosting state visits, and is the main residence of Queen Elizabeth II since 2011.[1]
Address: Castle Hill, SL4 1NJ Windsor
Stoke Park
Golf club in England. Stoke Park is a private sporting and leisure estate in Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire. The mansion building is located in the middle of 300 acres of parkland, lakes, gardens and monuments. In 1908, it became the first country club in the UK. In 2013, it was awarded five red AA stars, the highest accolade for service and facilities for hotels, by The Automobile Association.
Stoke Park has served as the filming location for several major films, including James Bond's Goldfinger and Tomorrow Never Dies, Bridget Jones's Diary and Layer Cake. It also hosts the annual Boodles Tennis Championships as a warm-up to Wimbledon, a week prior to the Championships.
In June 2014, Stoke Park hosted an outdoor charity concert for SportsAid (patron: the Duchess of Cambridge). Sir Elton John sang to 5,000 people and raised £825,000.
On August 2, 2021 the venue closed for refurbishment followed by the golf course on October 18, 2021. It is expected to reopen in summer 2023.[2]
Address: Park Rd, SL2 4PG Stoke Poges
Windsor Racecourse
Sports venue in Windsor, England. Windsor Racecourse, also known as Royal Windsor Racecourse, is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Windsor, Berkshire, England. It is one of only two figure-of-eight courses in the United Kingdom, the other being at Fontwell Park.[3]
Address: Maidenhead Rd., SL4 5JJ Windsor
St George's Chapel
History-rich place of royal worship. St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in England is a castle chapel built in the late-medieval Perpendicular Gothic style. It is both a Royal Peculiar and the Chapel of the Order of the Garter. St George's Chapel was founded in the 14th century by King Edward III and extensively enlarged in the late 15th century. It is located in the Lower Ward of the castle. The castle has belonged to the monarchy for almost 1000 years and it is a principal residence of Queen Elizabeth II. The chapel has been the scene of many royal services, weddings and burials — in the 19th century, St George's Chapel and the nearby Frogmore Gardens superseded Westminster Abbey as the chosen burial place for the British royal family.
The running of the chapel is the responsibility of the dean and canons of Windsor who make up the College of St. George. They are assisted by a Clerk, Verger and other staff. The Society of the Friends of St George's and Descendants of the Knights of the Garter, a registered charity, was established in 1931 to assist the college in maintaining the chapel.[4]
Address: 2 The Cloisters, SL4 1NJ Windsor
St John the Baptist Church
St John the Baptist Church is a parish church in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is dedicated to St John the Baptist. The church was rebuilt in Gothic Revival style in 1822. It is the civic church of Windsor, and many Mayors of Windsor are buried in the church and churchyard. The church is Grade II* listed. Two of the three Protestant Windsor Martyrs, who were burnt at the stake in 1543, were associated with the church.[5]
Address: High St, SL4 1LT Windsor
Theatre Royal
The Theatre Royal is an Edwardian theatre on Thames Street in Windsor in Berkshire. The present building is the second theatre to stand on this site and opened on 13 December 1910. Built for Sir Wiliam Shipley and Captain Reginald Shipley, it was a replacement for their previous theatre which was built in 1815 and had burnt down in 1908. The present theatre was designed by Frank Verity, the son of the theatre architect Thomas Verity. The building is Grade II listed and is the only unsubsidised producing theatre to operate all year round in the United Kingdom.[6]
Address: 32 Thames Street, SL4 1PS Windsor
Eton College Chapel
Chapel in England. Eton College Chapel is the main chapel of Eton College, a public school in England.
The chapel was planned to be a little over double its actual length, but this plan was never completed owing to the downfall of the founder Henry VI. A plaque on a building opposite the west end marks the point to which it should have reached. The Chapel is built in the late Gothic or Perpendicular style.
The fan vaulting was installed in the 1950s after the wooden roof became infested with deathwatch beetles. It was completed in three years and is made of concrete, faced with stone, and supported by steel trusses with hand-carved Clipsham stone for the stone ribs supporting each bay.[7]
Address: Eton College, SL4 6DW Windsor
Windsor Bridge
Arch bridge. The Windsor Bridge or Windsor Town Bridge, an iron and granite arch bridge over the River Thames, is located between the towns of Windsor and Eton in the English county of Berkshire. The Thames Path crosses the river here. The bridge carries pedestrian and cycle traffic, and crosses the Thames just above Romney Lock. It is a Grade II listed structure.[8]
Address: Thames St, Slough
Queen Mary's Dolls' House
Tourist attraction in Windsor, England. Queen Mary's Dolls' House is a dollhouse built in the early 1920s, completed in 1924, for Queen Mary, the wife of King George V. It was designed by architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, with contributions from many notable artists and craftsmen of the period, including a library of miniature books containing original stories written by authors including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and A. A. Milne.[9]
Address: Windsor Castle, Slough
Savill Garden
Garden in Englefield Green, England. The Savill Garden is an enclosed part of Windsor Great Park in England, created by Sir Eric Savill in the 1930s. It is managed by the Crown Estate and charges an entrance fee. The garden includes woodland, ornamental areas and a pond. The attractions include the New Zealand Garden, the Queen Elizabeth Temperate House and trees planted by members of the Royal Family. In June 2010, a new contemporary rose garden designed by Andrew Wilson and Gavin McWilliam of Wilson McWilliam Studio was opened by Queen Elizabeth II.
Eric Savill (1895–1980) was the grandson of Alfred Savill the founder of a large firm of estate agents and was involved in managing Windsor Great Park from 1930 to 1970, being Director of Gardens from 1962 to 1970. He opened the Savill Garden to the public in 1951 and left it as a heritage to the nation.
In June 2006, a specially designed new visitor centre, the Savill Building by Glenn Howells Architects was opened. The timber for the floor and roof came from the Windsor Estate.
The Savill Gardens and the nearby Valley Gardens are Grade I listed on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.[10]
Address: Wick Lane, TW20 0UU Englefield Green
Windsor Guildhall
Building in Windsor, England. The Windsor Guildhall is the town hall of Windsor, Berkshire, England. It is situated in the High Street, about 100 meters from Castle Hill, which leads to the main public entrance to Windsor Castle. It is a Grade I listed building.[11]
Address: Guildhall High Street, SL4 1LR Slough
Windsor and Royal Borough Museum
Museum. Windsor and Royal Borough Museum is a local history museum, exploring the history of the town of Windsor and the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead, in the English county of Berkshire. It is accommodated within Windsor Guildhall which is a Grade 1 listed building. The museum is managed as part of the local authority of the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead
The first museum exhibition was opened in Windsor Guildhall in 1951 as part of the Festival of Britain celebrations by Princess Elizabeth. The Queen returned to the building in 2011.[12]
Address: The Guildhall, SL4 1LR Slough
Frogmore House
Building in Windsor, England. Frogmore House is a 17th-century English country house owned by the Crown Estate. It is a historic Grade I listed building. The house is located on the Frogmore estate, which is situated within the grounds of the Home Park in Windsor, Berkshire. Half a mile south of Windsor Castle, Frogmore was let to a number of tenants until the late 18th century, when it was used intermittently as a residence for several members of the British royal family.
Queen Charlotte spent much time on the estate, and it was later the home of Queen Victoria's mother. Although occasionally used as a retreat into the early 20th century, the house has been largely unoccupied since 1872. Queen Mary often stayed there early in her marriage and for the rest of her life took a special interest in furnishing the house with family mementos. Keepsakes from the royal yacht HMY Britannia were placed there in the late 20th century by Prince Philip. In the 21st century, it is used by the royal family to host both private and official events.[13]
Address: Home Park Datchet Road, SL4 6HX Slough
Windsor Great Park
Park in England. Windsor Great Park is a Royal Park of 2,020 hectares, including a deer park, to the south of the town of Windsor on the border of Berkshire and Surrey in England. It is adjacent to the private 265 hectares Home Park, which is nearer the castle. The park was, for many centuries, the private hunting ground of Windsor Castle and dates primarily from the mid-13th century. Historically the park covered an area many times the current size known as Windsor Forest, Windsor Royal Park or its current name. The only royal park not managed by The Royal Parks, the park is managed and funded by the Crown Estate. Most parts of the park are open to the public, free of charge, from dawn to dusk, although there is a charge to enter Savill Garden.
The park is Grade I listed on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens. Windsor Forest and Great Park is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.[14]
Home Park
Park in Windsor, England. The Home Park, previously known as the Little Park, is a private 655-acre Royal park, administered by the Crown Estate. It lies on the eastern side of Windsor Castle in the town and former civil parish of Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. To its south is Windsor Great Park.[15]
Crooked House of Windsor
The Crooked House of Windsor in Windsor, England, is a commercial building dating from 1687. It is the oldest teahouse in all of England. It is Grade II listed. The building was reconstructed in the eighteenth century and now stands on "an outrageous slant." It has three storeys and bay windows to the front and rear.[16]
Address: 51 High Street, Slough
St Mary Magdalene's Church
St Mary Magdalene's Church is a redundant Anglican church standing close to the river on the north bank of the Thames, near the village of Boveney, Buckinghamshire, England. It is about 3 kilometres to the west of Eton College. The church, dedicated to Jesus' companion Mary Magdalene, is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Friends of Friendless Churches. A 360° Google Street View Tour of the church is available.[17]
Address: Lock Path, SL4 6QQ Windsor
Eton College Collections
The Eton College Collections are a collection of items of significant cultural or scientific value kept by Eton College in England. They include College Library, College Archives, Eton College Natural History Museum, Casa Guidi, Eton College Antiquities Collection and the Museum of Eton Life. The Collection also has hundreds of photographs, paintings, drawings and prints. Many items in the Collection are lent to exhibitions around the world.[18]
Address: Baldwins Shore, SL4 6DW Eton
Black Park
Black Park is a country park in Wexham, Buckinghamshire, England to the north of the A412 road. It is managed by Buckinghamshire Council, formerly County Council. It has an area of 250 hectares, of which two separate areas totalling 15.7 hectares have been designated a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest. and a larger area of 66 hectares is a local nature reserve.[19]
Church of St Laurence
Church in Slough, England. Saint Laurence's Church is one of three Church of England parish churches in the benefice of Upton-cum-Chalvey, and is the oldest building in the borough of Slough, in Berkshire, England.
In the 12th century the wooden parish church of Upton was replaced with a flint building. The tower and outside walls of the Norman building form part of the present church. Several of the walls are built of puddingstone. Two other Norman features survive: the ancient baptismal font and a piscina. In the English Reformation many of the ancient decorations were mutilated. A 13th-century Italian allegorical image of the Trinity – God Father, Son and Holy Spirit – survived and was reassembled in the restoration of the church.[20]