Activities in Maidenhead

You only have to consider the highlights – a lake, waterfall, 4,800 acres of pristine parkland, the majestic long walk up to Windsor Castle – to realise the great in Windsor Great Park is truly deserved. A short drive from our Slough hotel, the park is free to enter and can easily take a full day – or more – to properly explore. Wander through ancient forestlands, gaze at rare wildlife, explore stunning gardens and let the kids run wild in the adventure playgrounds. Once you’ve worked up a hunger, there’s picnic areas and several first-class cafés and restaurants.

The most enduring of toys – for children and adults alike – is rightly celebrated at Legoland, a fantastic family-friendly day out with adrenaline-fuelled roller-coasters, toddler-friendly rides and plenty of Lego-based fun across several themed zones. The park is closed for much of November, January and February, with full opening hours running from the middle of March to the end of October. Buy your ticket online to get the best prices, including parking, meal deals and even queue-jumping passes.

See Berkshire from a different view aboard one of the many Thames Cruises that sail along the longest river in the UK. As well as taking a ride aboard electric boats or boarding a sight-seeing cruise, you could try your luck fishing, diving, windsurfing, kayaking, canoeing, stand up paddleboarding or dinghy sailing.

Pretend you’re four-time Olympic gold medal winner Matthew Pinsent by taking a trip to Dorney Lake. The 400-acre, 2012 Olympic rowing venue site is dotted with sculptures, impressive gardens and plenty of water sports (although you need to be a member to get access to the water). Alternatively, check their race-day calendar and head down to catch a triathlon or one of their 50 regatta race days throughout the year.

Head down to the Berkshire College of Agriculture (BCA) every first or third Sunday, and you’ll be able to take part in their hour-long behind-the-scenes zoo tour. The exotic BCA Zoo was built primarily for students to get direct zoo-like work experience and hosts over 100 different species including meerkats, monkeys and plenty of snakes. Their special tours need to be booked in advance and start at 10.30am.

We’re not sure which is our favourite part of the Maidenhead Heritage Centre… actually, we are. It’s the Spitfire simulator, replete with flying jacket and helmet and recreated World War II scenery including Windsor Castle and the Isle of Wight. Located in the middle of Maidenhead on Park Street, the Heritage Centre also houses six rotating exhibitions each year as well as covering the local history from the pre-Roman times onwards. The museum is open from 10 am to 4 pm Tuesdays to Saturdays and is free to enter, with a small charge for the Spitfire simulator.

Directly opposite our Maidenhead Town Centre hotel, Kidwells Park is a sizeable town-centre park with plenty of activities. Kids will love the play area and the skate and BMX park, while there are also football, tennis and netball courts and a large World War I memorial garden. The park also hosts the two-day Maidenhead Carnival every July plus Maidenhead at the Movies, a three-day celebration of outdoor cinema with bands, stalls and more.

While a Thames River cruise will give you an insight into the UK’s longest river, the best – and cheapest – way to see the river is to head to Ray Mill Island, a family-friendly park on an island in the middle of the Thames. On a summer’s day, with the sun shining and the water lapping around, the park – including a playground, café, picnic tables and aviary – is a magical place, perfect for exploring.