We checked 10 Boxing Day walks near Bracknell, from Swinley Forest to Virginia Water, for parking, paths and pubs open on the day. Updated November 2026.
Bracknell has ten Boxing Day walks worth pulling your boots on for in 2026, and this guide puts them in one place with distances, start points, parking and the pubs and cafes open on the day. Most people head into Swinley Forest from the Look Out, out to the Iron Age banks of Caesar’s Camp. Buckler’s Forest in Crowthorne has surfaced loops on an old road-testing ground, Frost Folly has the Shepherds House next door, and Virginia Water has the lake. Every pub and cafe was checked against its own site on 12 November 2026.
Boxing Day 2026 is a Saturday, and the bank holiday moves to Monday 28 December. A few things change on the day:
- Light. The sun sets around 4pm, so start by 1pm for anything over three miles.
- No trains. South Western Railway runs no trains at all on Christmas Day or Boxing Day. Our Christmas trains page has the full picture, including the Saturday service from 28 December.
- No group walk yet. East Berks Ramblers’ November and December programme ends with a walk on 23 December, and no Ramblers group near Bracknell has listed one for Boxing Day. We will add one here if it appears.
- parkrun. Bracknell parkrun is a Saturday-morning event at Great Hollands Recreation Ground, so check its page for the festive timetable before you count on it.
- Mud and grazing. The sandy heaths drain fast, but Wildmoor Heath, Finchampstead Ridges and the Blackwater meadows are muddy in winter. Cattle or other grazing animals are out on Frost Folly and Wildmoor Heath.
- Cafes. Countryside cafes rarely publish Christmas hours this early. Where an entry says nothing is confirmed, take a flask.
Swinley Forest and Crowthorne
The southern half of the borough is pine forest and heath, most of it owned by the Crown Estate or managed by the council with the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust. Much of it is part of the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area, home to Dartford warblers, woodlarks and nightjars.
1. Swinley Forest and Caesar’s Camp, from the Look Out (about 3km there and back)
Swinley Forest covers more than 3,000 acres between Bracknell and Crowthorne, and the Crown Estate has managed it since 1810. The easiest way in is the Look Out car park on Nine Mile Ride.
From there the council puts Caesar’s Camp about 20 minutes’ walk through the forest. It is an Iron Age hillfort of about seven hectares, built 2,500 to 2,700 years ago and ringed by a mile-long ditch dug entirely by hand.
It is a Scheduled Monument, so metal detectors are banned. The Woodlarks Cafe at the Look Out does takeaway from 9am to 5pm daily but has not published Christmas hours.
Also on Nine Mile Ride, the Golden Retriever, a Vintage Inn, serves a Boxing Day menu at £38.50 for two courses or £41.50 for three.
Walk Caesar's Camp about 20 minutes each way on forest tracks; longer loops on the Crown Estate rides
Open forest open daily; car park 7am to 7.30pm daily; Woodlarks Cafe and the Look Out's Christmas hours not published
Parking Look Out car park, £3.60 for 4 hours, £7.20 all day
Toilets at the Look Out, 9am to 5pm daily, including a Changing Places toilet (Christmas hours not published)
Call The Look Out 01344 354400
Address The Look Out, Nine Mile Ride, Bracknell RG12 7QW
Website bracknell-forest.gov.uk/parks-and-countryside/parks-visit/caesars-camp
Good for history, children, dogs, a long forest walk
2. Buckler’s Forest, Crowthorne (1.3km, 2.4km or 3.6km)
Buckler’s Forest is 42 hectares of woodland, heath and ponds on what was the Transport Research Laboratory’s test ground from 1966 to 2004, where the mini-roundabout, speed humps, the zebra crossing and the Green Cross Code were developed. The council kept the best of it: the fire tower, now fitted with swift and bat boxes; the “hill start hill” built for testing handbrakes, now a picnic spot; a banked curve turned into a stepped amphitheatre; the old skid pan; and green electrical boxes made into mini-museums.
Three circular surfaced routes of 1.3km, 2.4km and 3.6km start from the car park, which makes it the pick for buggies and anyone avoiding mud. It won Site of the Year in the Land Trust’s 2026 awards, and the council is carrying out woodland management work there this autumn.
Walk surfaced circular routes of 1.3km, 2.4km and 3.6km
Open every day
Parking free car park off Old Wokingham Road at Woodcote Green
Address Buckler's Forest car park, Old Wokingham Road, Crowthorne RG45 6AS
Website bracknell-forest.gov.uk/parks-and-countryside/parks-visit/bucklers-forest
Good for buggies, children, history, dogs
3. Wildmoor Heath, Crowthorne (1.5 miles, or 9km with Crowthorne Wood)
Wildmoor Heath is lowland heath, bog and woodland, jointly owned by the council and the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust and run as a nature reserve. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and the trust lists Dartford warblers and stonechats among its birds.
The trust’s Wildlife Walk is a 1.5-mile circuit marked with badger waymarkers, crossing parts of the bog on boardwalks. For something longer, its 9km Sandhurst Wild Walk takes in the reserve and part of Crowthorne Wood.
The trust describes the paths as sandy and mostly firm, with some boggy peat, and warns they can be very muddy in winter. Grazing animals are out, so dogs must be on a lead.
Walk Wildlife Walk 1.5 miles (badger waymarks); Sandhurst Wild Walk 9km
Open at all times, free
Parking surfaced car park on Crowthorne Road, about a mile north of Sandhurst station
Access gates, stiles and boardwalks; some boggy, rough ground
Address Wildmoor Heath car park, Crowthorne Road, Crowthorne RG45 7PW
Website bbowt.org.uk/nature-reserves/wildmoor-heath
Good for birdwatching, dogs on leads, a quiet heath walk
4. Finchampstead Ridges and Simon’s Wood (1.35 miles)
Just over the border in Wokingham borough, Finchampstead Ridges was bought by local people by public subscription in 1913 and given to the National Trust. The Trust’s Finchampstead Ridges walk is 1.35 miles (2.16km), about 40 minutes, starting at the Direction Dial on the ridge.
It describes sweeping views across the Blackwater Valley all year, as far as the Hog’s Back on a clear day, plus heather heath where red kites may be seen and two ponds, Spout Pond and Ironstone Pond. The paths are undulating with some steep up and down stretches, partly through woodland, and muddy in winter; the Trust says the route does not suit wheelchairs.
Park at Simon’s Wood, across the road from the Ridges.
Walk 1.35 miles (2.16km), about 40 minutes; undulating with steep sections
Open open countryside, every day
Parking Simon's Wood car park, Wellingtonia Avenue, about 50 cars
Address Simon's Wood car park, Wellingtonia Avenue, Crowthorne RG45 6AE
Website nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/surrey/runnymede-and-ankerwycke/finchampstead-ridges-walk
Good for views, dogs, benches at the viewpoints
Sandhurst and the Blackwater
5. Shepherd Meadows, Sandhurst Memorial Park and Horseshoe Lake
On the south side of Sandhurst, the council’s Shepherd Meadows covers 40 hectares of wet meadow and woodland along the River Blackwater, part of the Blackwater Valley Site of Special Scientific Interest, with Sandhurst Memorial Park next door. A network of tarmac, hoggin and mown paths links the two, with a new footbridge over the river.
Memorial Park has toilets, a children’s play area and Pistachios Cafe, which has not published Christmas hours. For a longer walk, the council’s Horseshoe Lake, a flooded former gravel pit of about 22 acres off Mill Lane, has a circular gravel path with a small wooden footbridge and benches, and winter visitors on the water.
Leaving it by any route other than the car park means kissing gates.
Walk tarmac, hoggin and mown paths across both sites; circular gravel path at Horseshoe Lake
Open every day
Parking Memorial Park off Yorktown Road (A321); small car park on Marshall Way GU47 0FJ; Horseshoe Lake car park on Mill Lane GU47 8JW
Toilets Sandhurst Memorial Park
Cafe Pistachios Cafe, Memorial Park (Christmas hours not published)
Access tarmac path from the Memorial Park car park to the riverside, suitable for wheelchairs
Address Sandhurst Memorial Park, Yorktown Road, Sandhurst GU47 9BJ
Website bracknell-forest.gov.uk/parks-and-countryside/parks-visit/shepherd-meadows-and-sandhurst-memorial-park
Good for children, river walks, birdwatching, dogs
In Bracknell
6. Lily Hill Park
Lily Hill Park is 23 hectares of restored Victorian parkland on the east side of town, with an extensive network of surfaced paths reaching every part of it. The council lists an original yew walk, a traditional orchard and a giant Wellingtonia at Forester’s Hill, beech and oak woods to the east, hybrid rhododendrons and azaleas in Starch Copse, and an Edwardian water garden with a pond and a ha-ha to the west.
Children can hunt for the seven animal tracks on the trail, and the park has what the council calls England’s longest picnic bench, carved from a single piece of wood, plus cold water taps for dogs. The council has essential tree work under way, so expect the odd fenced-off area.
Walk surfaced paths throughout
Open every day
Parking north car park off Lily Hill Road, with four electric vehicle chargers
Address Lily Hill Park, Lily Hill Road, Bracknell RG12 2RX
Website bracknell-forest.gov.uk/parks-and-countryside/parks-visit/lily-hill-park
Good for buggies, children, dogs, a short walk from town
7. South Hill Park grounds
The grounds around the Grade II listed mansion at South Hill Park are open to the public and were restored with £2.3 million of Heritage Lottery Fund and Big Lottery Fund money. There are four waymarked trails, an Italian Garden restored to architect Temple Moore’s designs, a yew walk behind a small rose garden, two balancing ponds, birch, lime, oak and sweet chestnut woods, the Rings of Pachamama sculpture by Lucy Strachan, a nature trail with wildlife carvings and a toddler playground.
Paths are surfaced. The arts centre has a cafe but has not published its Christmas hours.
Parking is charged after the first 30 minutes (our report on the charges).
Walk four waymarked trails on surfaced paths
Open grounds open to the public; arts centre Christmas hours not published
Parking about 200 spaces, charged after the first 30 minutes
Address South Hill Park, off the A322 Bagshot Road, Bracknell RG12 7PA
Website bracknell-forest.gov.uk/parks-and-countryside/parks-visit/south-hill-park
Good for buggies, children, gardens, a short walk from town
Warfield, Winkfield and Windsor Great Park
8. Frost Folly and the Shepherds House, Moss End (2.1km, or 6.7 miles)
Frost Folly is 24 hectares of former arable fields at Moss End, Warfield, turned into wildlife meadows, hedges, scrub and small ponds, with views over the surrounding countryside. Its own route is an unsurfaced 2.1km loop.
For a proper Boxing Day stretch, the council’s Northern Lanes walk is 6.7 miles (10.8km) across the farmland of northern Warfield and starts and ends at the Frost Folly car park; the route sheet is on the council’s countryside walks page. Cattle are grazing the site: give them space, keep dogs on leads and close the gates.
Afterwards, the Shepherds House on the Maidenhead Road at Moss End says it is open on Boxing Day, serving breakfast and a three-course Boxing Day menu at £39.
Walk 2.1km unsurfaced loop; Northern Lanes circular 6.7 miles (10.8km)
Open car park closed overnight; Shepherds House open Boxing Day
Parking car park off Wellers Lane, height limit 1.98m
Price Shepherds House Boxing Day menu £39 for three courses, £5 deposit per adult and per child
Booking Shepherds House, book online with the deposit
Call Shepherds House 01344 423341
Address Frost Folly car park, Wellers Lane, Warfield RG42 6EN; Shepherds House, Moss End, Warfield RG42 6ER
Website bracknell-forest.gov.uk/parks-and-countryside/parks-visit/frost-folly
Listing Our listing
Good for a pub lunch after, countryside views, dogs on leads
9. Englemere Pond, Chavey Down
Englemere Pond Nature Reserve is 27.6 hectares around a shallow acid lake on the Ascot side of the borough, once part of the royal hunting forest around Windsor Castle and still owned by the Crown Estate, which manages its Scots pines as timber. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Local Nature Reserve, and in winter siskins and redpolls feed in the alders.
Two circular marked trails start and end at the car park, with sleeper bridges, boardwalks and surfacing on the wettest stretches, and a bench at the viewing platform over the water. The council says it is extremely popular with dog walkers.
Walk two circular marked trails from the car park
Open every day
Parking Englemere car park, Swinley Road
Address Englemere car park, Swinley Road, Winkfield SL5 8BA
Website bracknell-forest.gov.uk/parks-and-countryside/parks-visit/englemere-pond
Good for dogs, birdwatching, a short walk
10. Virginia Water, Windsor Great Park (5.25 miles round the lake)
The big one. Virginia Water is a two-mile lake at the southern edge of Windsor Great Park, dug from the 1750s as a royal pleasure ground and, before reservoirs, the largest man-made lake in England.
The Crown Estate puts a full circuit at 8.44km (5.25 miles), and the Cascade and the Leptis Magna ruins are a much shorter stroll from the car park. The park itself is open daily and free; parking is charged by card only, and Blue Badge holders park free.
The Savill Garden is shut only on 24 and 25 December, according to the Windsor tourism site, but the Crown Estate posts each day’s cafe and car park hours on its site nearer the time, so check before you set off.
Walk full lake circuit 8.44km (5.25 miles); Cascade and Leptis Magna ruins a short stroll
Open park open daily; Boxing Day cafe and car park hours not yet published
Parking Virginia Water car park, £3.20 up to 1 hour, £6.40 to 2 hours, £9.90 to 3 hours, £13 to 4 hours, £16 over 4 hours; card only; Blue Badge free
Address Virginia Water car park, Virginia Water GU25 4QF
Website windsorgreatpark.co.uk/explore/virginia-water
Good for a long walk, history, children, dogs
How we chose
These are the walks around Bracknell, Crowthorne, Sandhurst and Warfield that have a car park, a clear route and something to see in midwinter, taken from Bracknell Forest Council’s parks and countryside pages, the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust, the National Trust and the Crown Estate. Pub and cafe hours and prices come from each one’s own website, checked on 12 November 2026, and we will update the page in December as the cafes and Windsor Great Park publish their Boxing Day hours. Run a place that should be here, or spot something that has changed? Email newsdesk@bracknellonline.co.uk. Taken a good photograph of any of these places? Email it to newsdesk@bracknellonline.co.uk and we will add it with your name as the credit.
More for Christmas around Bracknell: Christmas dinner, carol services, Christmas markets and fairs, Christmas trees, pantomimes and Christmas shows and Christmas bin collections. For the rest of the year, see things to do in Bracknell, what’s on this month and the local directory.
Frequently asked questions
Which walks near Bracknell have a pub open on Boxing Day?
Frost Folly at Moss End, Warfield, is the surest pairing: the Shepherds House on the Maidenhead Road says it is open on Boxing Day, serving breakfast and a three-course Boxing Day menu at £39, with a £5 deposit per person to book. For Swinley Forest, the Golden Retriever on Nine Mile Ride serves a Boxing Day menu from £38.50 for two courses.
Are there trains or buses to Bracknell’s walks on Boxing Day?
There are no trains. South Western Railway runs no services anywhere on its network on Christmas Day or Saturday 26 December. Bus operators usually publish their festive timetables in early December. For most of these walks you will need to drive or walk from home.
Can I take the dog on a Boxing Day walk near Bracknell?
Yes, though the rules vary. Dogs must be on a lead at Wildmoor Heath, where grazing animals are out, and cattle are grazing Frost Folly, where the council asks for dogs on leads and gates closed. Lily Hill Park has cold water taps for dogs, and Englemere Pond is, in the council’s words, extremely popular with dog walkers.
Have your say