The River Thames Waterfront at Windsor

Relax by Windsor Riverfront, take a boat trip & picnic at Alexandra Gardens

Windsor is blessed with a delightful riverfront, the river is of course the River Thames. All along the riverfront is a wide paved pathway giving access to all the riverfront activities described later.

Behind the riverfront for much of the way is a large traditional park, called The Alexandra Gardens. This is the kind of place where (at least during the summer) you'll see visitors lazing on the grass taking a well earned break from the serious business of sightseeing.

On the other bank of the Thames opposite is Eton, much of the frontage here is just a mud bank with empty grassland behind. By Eton Bridge there is Eton rowing club. The bank opposite is a favourite place for people cruising the Thames to put up. There is often a large funfair travelling through on the grassland area.

Along the Riverfront BOOK Tootbus Windsor boat + bus tour Alexandra Gardens

Along the Riverfront at Windsor - step by step

Starting by Eton Bridge at the eastern end of the waterfront is the Sir Christopher Wren Hotel right on the river next to the bridge. This is a historic old hotel, the original home of Sir Christopher Wren famous for St Paul's Cathedral in London.

The riverfront path is at its narrowest here. There are always lots of Swans, ducks and Canadian Geese here.

You will find them all along the riverfront waiting for you to feed them. There is a large Waitrose supermarket in the King Edward Shopping Centre by Windsor Central Station.

This area is also used for river boats passing through to moor. You will normally find an array of narrow-boats which people hire. Narrow-boat holidays on such craft are very popular in the UK.

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Boat trips & rowing boats

Tootbus Windsor and Thames Boat Tour

Tootbus (formerly Original Tour London) were the people who started the first hop-on experience back in London forty years ago. They are now offering a great package for you to explore Windsor from the privileged position of a hop-off bus tour together with a cruise on the Upper River Thames round Windsor.

Your ticket gives you a 24 hours on Tootbus' sightseeing buses together with a 40-minute round-trip on the Thames, courtesy of French Brothers (see below).

WINDSOR HOP-ON HOP-OFF BUS TOUR + THAMES CRUISE

Experience the picturesque Windsor by boat and bus

• 24h hop-on hop-off Windsor bus tour • Sightseeing Windsor river cruise on the Thames • Magnificent views of Windsor & Eton

BOOK NOW

French Brothers Boat Tours

Next to Sir Christopher Wren's Hotel is where the pleasure boats do a good trade during the summer months.

French Brothers run two regular trips lasting 35 minutes and 2 hours on the Thames. If there is a race meeting (horses) at Windsor racecourse (normally an evening meet) the boats run a shuttle service to the racecourse.

There are also rowing boats and motor boats for hire in this section too. The river frontage continues westwards until by the railway bridge is a pleasant parkland area by a small island in the river, a great place for a summer nap.

The main park is behind the river and is called Alexandra Gardens.

French Brothers River Cruises, Windsor

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Alexandra Gardens

Alexandra Gardens is an old fashioned traditional park established a century or so ago in Victorian times. Complete with formal flower beds and grass it is not as stuffy as it sounds. It runs parallel to the waterfront for much of the riverfront area. There is always plenty of space just to lie out on the grass, a great place to have a picnic or just 'chill out'.

There are plenty of ice cream and other food outlets in the vicinity as well as public toilets.

In 2016 a bandstand to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II was erected. At the far western end of the park is a mini funfair for the kids and a small skateboard park, complete with candy floss, hot dogs etc. During the summer months there is a kiosk that rents out cycles.

Also in the summer months the Windsor Globe hosts theatre shows (including Shakespeare), music and comedy in the grounds of Alexandra Gardens, with beautiful views of the castle, river and Eton Bridge. During December this area has also been turned into an ice rink and is becoming a seasonal fixture.

Windsor is in the bottom of the wide Thames Valley and there are excellent cycle rides along the river, to Runnymede or over to Windsor Great Park and Virginia Water. There is a cycle hire outlet in the park only open at peak periods.

For refreshment along the riverfront there is everything from ice cream parlors to fish and chips to pubs.

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