Access Guide
Summary
- The Eton Walkway is a cultural and scenic walk of approximately 2 miles. The walk begins and ends at Eton Bridge and along the route are 18 plaques indicating the location of historic cultural points of interest. The route uses pavement, unpaved roads and grassed meadow which can be wet and soft depending upon the weather.
Parking
- On Street Parking
- There are Blue Badge and standard parking bays on High Street.
- There is no charge for Blue Badge holders.
- Standard bays are limited to 2 hours on a pay and display basis.
- Public Car Parks
- There are two public car parks close to High Street that are administered by The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead. They are Eton Court Car Park and Meadow Lane Car Park.
- Eton Court Car Park
- This car park is split into two parts. One element is on-street parking about 40m into Eton Court from High Street. The other element is off-street and is about 40m further along Eton Court.
- This is an open-air pay and display car park.
- The off-street element has a height restriction of 1.9m.
- The off-street element has accessible and standard toilets.
- Photographs 1, 2, 3 and 4 show Eton Court car park.
- Meadow Lane Car Park
- This car park is located at the junction of Meadow Lane and Eton Court.
- This is an open-air pay and display car park.
- The car Park has a height restriction of 2.0 m.
- Photographs 5, 6, 7 & 8 show Meadow Lane car park.
Start Point - Eton Bridge, High Street to Eton Porny School
- This section is approximately 350 metres and takes approximately 5 minutes.
There is a slight decline from the Eton Bridge to High Street.
The bridge has bollards across it. They are 84cm high and there is a 107cm gap between them. - The pathways on both sides of the road in this section are formed of riven concrete paving/block paving and short sections of cobble. The pathways vary in width (from 200cm to 130cm) as you progress along from Eton Bridge. Some parts of the east side paving are closed due to building works.
- After approximately 50 metres on the right is King Stable Street. This is plaque 1 and is photograph 7.
- There are cafés along the route such as Nimia, seen in photographs 8 and 9.
- A further 80 metres on the east side of the road will bring you to plaque 2, the Cockpit, although building works may conceal this. An old red pillar box marks the correct location. This is shown in photograph 10.
- There is standard on street parking, limited to 2 hours, and Blue Badge bays such as the one opposite Eton Mess and shown in photograph 11.
On the west side of High Street is the junction with Eton Court. Eton Court leads to Eton Court car park and Meadow Lane car park. Eton Court car park has an accessible toilet using a Radar key and standard toilets. - There are bollards on the north side of the junction. They are 93cm high and a minimum of 172cm between them.
- There are side roads and entrances to cross along the route, most of which have dropped kerbs and tactile paving on both sides. Photographs 6, 7, 12, 13, 14 show examples of side entrances/roads.
- There are some obstructions along the pavement on both sides such as lamp posts, cycle racks, tables, chairs, bins and signboards.
- There are bus stops on both sides of the road.
- The end of this section finds the Porny School on the right-hand side of the road and is plaque 3. This is shown in photograph 17.
Eton Porny School to the Burning Bush
- This section is approximately 280 metres and takes approximately 3 minutes.
- The pathways on both sides of the road in this section are formed of concrete paving and tarmac. Some of the pathways are uneven, particularly where repairs have been made to the footpath.
- There are some obstructions along the pavement on both sides such as lamp posts, tables, chairs and signboards.
- There is a café along the route called Tudors, seen in photograph 2.
- There is a slight incline on the approach to Baldwin’s Bridge. This is the location of plaque 4 as shown in photographs 5 and 7.
- There is standard 2 hour pay and display parking on the approach to the bridge and a Blue Badge bay just before the brow of the bridge.
- There is a pathway along the bridge wall that leads to a dropped kerb to cross Baldwin’s Shore. This is shown in photograph 8.
- There is a slight decline once over the bridge to level pathway.
- About 85 metres further on the east side of the road is the statue of William Waynflete, plaque 5, seen in photograph 12.
- There are side roads along the route, most of which have dropped kerbs and tactile paving on both sides. Photographs 10, 11, 14 and 17 show examples of side roads.
- There are bus stops on both sides of the road outside Eton College.
- At the junction with Keats Lane there is a pedestrian light-controlled crossing on both sides of the junction. The crossing has dropped kerbs and tactile paving.
- The end of this section finds the Burning Bush on the left-hand side of the road and is plaque 6. The Burning Bush is shown in photograph 18.
The Burning Bush to the Herschel Observatory
- This section is approximately 1000 metres and takes approximately 13 minutes.
- The pathways on both sides of the road at the beginning of this section are formed of tarmac. Some of the pathway is uneven particularly where repairs have been made to the footpath. The pathway also narrows in places to 120cm.
- Lamp posts are found on both sides of the road on the pathway. One, marked "007", is the location of plaque 7, as seen in photograph 4.
- Initially the pathway is level but then begins to incline and becomes a bridge, as it approaches Colenorton Brook. The incline becomes steep as the brow of the bridge is neared. Once over the brow of the bridge, there is a steep decline down to a marked gate, 88 cm wide, on the left-hand side of the road. The gate is about 400 metres from the Burning Bush. The gate is seen in photographs 6 and 7.
- The path changes to a track across open land and comprises unprepared track in addition to stoned and levelled track. The pathway is level but uneven and may be wet and soft in places depending on the weather. Photographs 8, 9, 10 and 11 show the track.
- After about 500 metres there is a slight incline to go over Skinner’s Bridge. This is the location of plaque 8 and is seen in photograph 12.
- After Skinner’s bridge, the road/pathway becomes level and metalled.
- The end of this section finds Herschel Observatory on the right-hand side of the road and is plaque 9. The observatory is shown in photograph 15.
The Herschel Observatory to Eton Natural History Museum
- This section is approximately 700 metres and takes approximately 9 minutes.
- The commencement of the route in this section is on Common Lane which is a level metalled road with no roadside paving.
- When Common Lane reaches housing, it changes into a standard roadway with roadside paving. The paving is concrete tiles, level but uneven in places. The width of paving varies along the course from 180cm to 120cm.
- There are side roads and entrances to cross along the route, most of which have dropped kerbs and tactile paving on both sides. Photographs 3, 4 and 5 show examples of side entrances/roads.
- As Common Lane returns to the Burning Bush, the statue by Sir Anthony Gormley is found high on the side of a building on the right-hand side of the road. This is plaque 10 and seen in photograph 6.
- Turning right back onto High Street, the junction on the right with Keates Lane is just 60 metres along the road. Here, there is a pedestrian light-controlled crossing on both sides of the junction. The crossing has dropped kerbs and tactile paving.
- After about 100 metres, Keate’s house is found on the right-hand side of the road at the junction with Eton Wick Road. This is the location of plaque 11 and is shown in photograph 12.
- The route takes the left fork at the junction of Keates Lane, Eton Wick Road and South Meadow Lane. The Natural History Museum is found just 50 metres along South Meadow Lane on the left-hand side. This is the location of plaque 12 and the museum is shown in photograph 16.
- There is on-street standard 2 hour pay and display parking on South Meadow Lane near to the museum.
Eton Natural History Museum to The Christopher Inn
- This section is approximately 500 metres and takes approximately 7 minutes.
- This part of the route is level and uses grassed common land and metalled road with paving. Whilst level, there are uneven elements along the way.
- There are side roads and entrances to cross along the route, most of which have dropped kerbs and tactile paving on both sides. Photographs 15 and 16 show examples of side entrances/roads.
- A further 150 metres along South Meadow Lane is the Eton Museum of Antiquities. This is plaque 13 and is shown in photograph 4.
- The route then crosses South Meadow, a level grassed meadow. It is accessed by one of two gates. There is a relatively new gate which is 120cm wide opposite the Museum of Antiquities and offers better access than the original gate, which is just 80cm wide, is within a hedge and is on uneven ground.
- There is a pathway across the meadow to the rear of St John’s Church, approximately 170 metres away. The church is the location of plaque 14, and is shown in photograph 14.
- The route passes through the churchyard which is uneven. There is a small step of 4cm to enter through the gate of the church at its rear. The gate is 93cm wide.
- The route then re-joins the High Street through a gate 97cm wide and, turning right, The Christopher Inn is found on the right approximately 100 metres along the street on the right-hand side. This is the location of plaque 15 and is shown in photograph 17.
- There is on-street standard 2 hour pay and display parking on High Street and public car parks are nearby.
The Christopher Inn to Eton Bridge
- This section is approximately 700 metres and takes approximately 9 minutes.
- The pathways on both sides of the road in this section are formed of riven concrete paving/block paving and short sections of cobble along with grassed common land. Whilst level, there are uneven elements along the way.
- The pathways on both sides of the road vary in width (from 180cm to 140cm) as you progress along from The Christopher Inn.
- The pathway across the common land is uneven and may be wet and soft depending upon the weather.
- There is standard on street parking which is pay and display, limited to 2 hours, and Blue Badge bays such as the one opposite Eton Mess.
- Approximately 50 metres along High Street from The Christopher Inn is Jubilee Square on the junction of High Street and Eton Court. This is the location of plaque 16 and can be seen in photographs 1 and 2.
- The route proceeds down Eton Court, past Eton Court car park and then across Meadow Lane car park to a foot exit point onto Meadow Lane where a signposted footpath enters a meadow called The Brocas.
- The width of the entrance to the meadow is 120cm and is shown in photograph 6. The Brocas is the location of plaque 17 and is shown in photograph 8. There is a gateway 3 metres wide leading from The Brocas to a pathway along the Thames. There is seating along the pathway.
- 50 metres along the pathway by the side of the Thames is the Eton Boat House which is plaque 18 and seen in photograph 12. The pathway turns left moving alongside the Eton Boat House through a covered archway to Brocas Street where, turning right, the street leads back to High Street and Eton Bridge on the right.
- There are bollards on Brocas Street. They are 98cm high and there is a minimum space of 165cm between them.