Berkshire guide: places of interest near Twyford

What do do around Twyford in Berkshire

Stanlake Park Wine Estate sits in a perfect location to explore other places of interest in Twyford and nearby towns in Berkshire. It would be hard to find a better weekend than combining a Wine Tour & Tasting with a visit to other local attractions. 

Windsor Castle and the Windsor Great Park

The jewel in the crown has to be Windsor & Eton.  The original castle was built in the 11^th Century and has 1000 rooms over 13 acres.  It really is a must if you’ve not visited the area before.  It’s certainly worth buying tickets online beforehand to beat the queues. As the castle is a royal residence there may be restrictions in place if the Queen is home. The busiest period is early morning so the afternoons are better. If you’ve done a wine tour the day before, you may want to clear your head first with a walk through Windsor Great Park (picture above) which covers 5000 acres.  The Long Walk stretches for 2.65 miles and has great views of the castle.  

Henley Regatta

Listed between the most popular Berkshire attractions, Henley on Thames is famous for its annual boating regatta but is a beautiful town to visit sitting on the Thames.  It’s overlooked by the Chilterns and is often voted the best place to live in England.  Ideally pack a picnic and a bottle of Stanlake Park Regatta and enjoy a day by the river – you might find a charming water Lilly, the flower featured in our Regatta’s label.

Visiting Marlow

My personal preference is Marlow having worked in the town centre for many years. It’s only a small town and apart from Marlow suspension bridge (built by Willian Tierney Clark in 1832) has little history to offer the casual visitor.  However, Marlow is such a quaint old town with good shops, bars and restaurants while offering good walks along the towpath and has a large family park by the river.  The TV chef, Tom Kerridge owns 3 bars/restaurants in the town and The Coach & Horses does not take bookings so you can just pop in there if they have a table free (it can get busy!). 

Dinton Pastures Country Park offers some of the best walks in the area. Photo Credits: Mark Hasler.

The River Thames

The most famous highlight in Berkshire is the River Thames itself.  If you are looking for tranquillity or to gawp at the huge riverside houses then take a river cruise which operate from a number of points along the river. 

The local area is a walkers paradise with so many good walking routes. If you don’t want to drive to Virginia Water or the Thames then head to Dinton Pastures or Charvil Country Park. These are some of the best walks in Berkshire – in fact, you’ll find many country parks just a short distance from Stanlake Park which are an ideal escape before heading back to the urban environment. Don’t forget to grab your picnic at our Cellar Shop & Wine Bar: we have a suitable selection of British cheese, charcuterie, crackers and of course, the best wine made in Berkshire!

Visiting Reading

The largest town in the vicinity is Reading. The town centre has all the usual attractions with a large shopping mall and a plethora of music venues, restaurants and bars including a number of local breweries. Surprisingly Reading also has a number of historic sights which are well worth a visit.  Reading Abbey was one of the largest monasteries in England and was built in 1121.  The abbey was at the centre of the siege of Reading during the civil war in 1643.  After a 10 day assault the abbey lay in ruins.  Reading gaol was built over part of the ruins and housed Oscar Wilde from 1895 to 1897 which led him to write the Ballad of Reading Gaol.  The abbey gateway was renovated and reopened to the public in June 2018.

Whether you take in the places of interest in Berkshire before or after visiting Stanlake Park Wine Estate, you can be sure that, like our wines, you will find something to suit everyone.