We'll have one day in Windsor (train from London) and plan to walk across the river to Eton and also take the bus to Runnymede. I'm fairly confident about the logistics but hope for advice from those who know - what would <b>your</b> itinerary be?
As always, thanks for your expertise~

Hello again, my question now has dropped out of the top 25 in the UK category, so I'll try again. If no responses this time, I'll muddle through and report back when all is said and done.

I don’t know what you’re expecting at Runnymede, but it’s just a field. There is a small marker from the US Bar Association (for some reason Magna Carta matters much more to the seppoes than it does to us) and another small memorial to JFK (one acre of Runnymede was given to the USA in memory of Kennedy).

Unless you have some huge yearning to stand in a field there’s nothing there.

If you do go there you might want to check out the Commonwealth Air forces Memorial at the top of the hill (Runnymede is at the bottom). That’s worth a trip.

I agree with C_W. I grew up near there, and Runnymede is just a field. It used to have lovely water meadows filled with wild flowers once upon a time, but now it's just grass, and the Magna Carta and Kennedy memorials, both of which are uninspiring.

The Air Forces memorial is lovely. A very moving place to visit, and very serene.

Alternatively if you decide against Runnymede, then consider walking the Long Walk from the castle into Windsor Great Park. Just watch out for Prince Philip on the way!

I do hope you're planning to go to Windsor Castle. That takes 2 or 3 hours, not including a walk in (the?) Great Park. Then I'd spend a little time walking along the Thames and a little time in the interesting shops.

Beware. It's not called the Long Walk for nothing! It's miles.

Only three miles C_W. Uphill part of the way it's true, but not that far really. Maybe Philip will give them a lift .

Right, we plan a (return) visit to the Castle and thought the walk to Eton would offer enough exposure to the Thames.

The appeal of Runnymede is simply that I love that kind of thing ~ I'd <u>always</u> chose memorials over shops.

I do appreciate the comments ~ thank you!

After trekking up the long Long Walk and taking a left at Prince Philip - or whoever that equestrian statue is of - and trekking another few miles to Runnymede i thought 'where is Runnymede' - thinking some kind of Gettysburg type museum-markers, etc. Yup just a muddy field that few Brits seem to visit.

You'll be right in the area for a visit to the lovely Saville Garden, a large park with beautiful plantings.

Yes, and lest anyone think I didn't do my homework, I read with interest:

"<i>London Excursion: Runnymede a Let Down </i> by PalenQ"

in Jan/Feb 2008 and still want to go. Bus service appears to be quite straightforward, eliminating that long, Long walk!

And <b>Cholmondley_Warner's</b> current thread on Windsor has been helpful of course.

I walked from Runnymede along the Thames to a bridge that went to Slough from where i hopped a train back to London - rather nice walk and not more than a few miles if that.

Back from London, and our day at Windsor was great. Cheap day return (&pound;7.60) with the discounted castle admission (&pound;12, not &pound;16.)

Rain was forecast so we walked to Eton first, and smiled at any top coated (waistcoated?) boys we met.
Then on to the Castle where I imagined smoke was still in the air.

My personal triumph was Runnymede - Bus #71 to Old Windsor/Bells of Ouzeley and felt rather British slogging through the misty, muddy meadow. I did like the JFK memorial but thought the American Bar Association should have simply built their "Thank you, Britain, for the Magna Carta" and resisted the impulse to engrave it with a diary of their visits.
We thought two out of three was doing well, and did not visit the more-distant Air Forces Memorial.

And thanks to those who went before!

You just made me cry.

My mother's (she died 3 years ago) favourite restaurant in Berks was the Bells of Ouseley. We had many family dinners there over a period of 25 years.

My mother grew up in Old Windsor.

I always hated being dragged out to the memorials as a child.

Thin