# 🥾 Walk 441 - Ascot and Great Pond

A group of 9 of us met at one of the car parks at Ascot racecourse. We were most fortunate for it to stay dry throughout the walk given the forecast and previous days heavy rain and winds.

We took a left along Winkfield Road (A330) and short way down crossed to take a footpath along the Old Straight Mile. This led to the ornate Golden Gates adjoining a lodge a listed building (1879) and marks the original straight mile of the course. From there we entered the lanes of Cheapside before turning into Sunninghill Park, part of Windsor Forest until 1630. The 19th century house in the grounds was once the residence of the Duke and Duchess of York, and sold for over fifteen million pounds.

Crossing a meadow, we entered Wood End and following tracks emerged onto the main road. Taking a path beside the Crispin pub we walked along the lanes and hamlet of Woodside with its many distinctive properties. At its heart another two country pubs that as a group we have visited before and well recommended.

![Ascot Great Pond.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume34/images/ascot_great_pond.jpg)

We took a track in between houses, which narrowed besides hedgerows then through swing gates leading to a field and paddocks. Here we encountered some standing water following the recent heavy rains requiring some negotiating around.

Emerging onto a road and passing some houses, we turned into Mill Ride Golf Club, which is an old coach road. Part way along a track leads to an estate and leads to an avenue of stately Wellingtonias and follows in reverse direction the Three Castles Path, a 60 mile long distance route from Windsor to Winchester, which continues across the road and onto the racecourse.

We followed the waymarkers, which include a section of the historic Church Path, then on under the subway and taking a flight of steps we crossed the new straight mile course a permitted path.The first Ascot meet was August 1711 founded by Queen Ann as she thought it would be a good place to gallop horses. The first race named "Her Majesty's Plate" had a prize worth 100 guineas. The racecourse has been synonymous with the Royal Family ever since.

![Autumn Colours.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume34/images/ascot_autumn_colours.jpg)

From here we were back onto Winkfield Road and at the end reached the car park where we'd started. As we enter another period of "lockdown" we reflected on how this may be the last BWW walk for a while, we appreciate not just the countryside but the group as a whole and will all miss it, but hopefully to meet again soon.

![Crossing Ascot Racecourse.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume34/images/ascot_race_course.jpg)

*Thank you to Kathy for leading the walk and for writing it up.*

## 📸 Back to Volume 34

Return to volume index