Things to do in Berkshire

An intimate family home and peaceful estate set in the rolling hills of the Chilterns. This picturesque 16th-century mansion and tranquil gardens were home to the Brunner family until recent years. The house exudes a welcoming atmosphere with a well-stocked kitchen and homely living rooms. The series of walled gardens is a colourful patchwork of interest set amid medieval ruins. If there are any plants that you would like our volunteer team to identify, please send a photo of the plant to greyscourt@nationaltrust.org.uk, with 'PlantID' in the subject line. Other buildings from earlier eras include the Great Tower from the 14th century and a rare Tudor donkey wheel, in use until the early 20th century.

Highclere Castle in Hampshire is the Victorian Gothic country house familiar to millions around the world as Downton Abbey, the fictional Yorkshire estate of the television drama created by Julian Fellowes that ran from 2010 to 2015 and achieved remarkable international success. The castle's association with the programme has brought visitors from Japan, the United States, Australia and across Europe who wish to see the exterior and interiors used in the filming, and the resulting surge in visitor numbers has made Highclere one of the most visited country houses in the south of England. The castle was transformed into its present form between 1842 and 1878 by Sir Charles Barry, the architect of the Houses of Parliament, for the third Earl of Carnarvon. Barry's design in the High Victorian Gothic style replaced an earlier eighteenth-century mansion with the current elaborate confection of towers, turrets and pinnacles in a warm yellow Bath stone that creates an imposing and photogenic silhouette above its parkland setting. The interior contains a sequence of Victorian state rooms of considerable splendour, furnished with an impressive collection of paintings, tapestries and decorative objects accumulated by successive Carnarvon generations. The castle has a second remarkable claim to historical interest entirely independent of its television fame. The fifth Earl of Carnarvon was the principal financial backer of Howard Carter's Egyptian archaeological excavations that in November 1922 discovered the intact tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings, the most spectacular archaeological discovery of the twentieth century. The castle holds a collection of Egyptian antiquities brought back by the fifth Earl, displayed in a dedicated Egyptian exhibition, and the story of the discovery and the deaths that followed provides the castle with a genuine historical drama to set alongside its television associations.

Legoland Windsor stands out as a memorable location for travellers exploring the coastline and countryside of the UK. Many visitors return repeatedly because each visit offers something slightly different. The surrounding landscape provides a strong sense of place that helps visitors understand the character of the region. Local walking routes and nearby viewpoints make it a rewarding place to explore on foot. Wandering around the area reveals small details that are easily missed when simply passing through. The atmosphere can shift dramatically depending on the weather, with bright sunlight revealing colours and textures that are easy to miss on overcast days. Photographers often appreciate the changing light conditions, particularly during sunrise and sunset. The surrounding landscape changes beautifully with the seasons, giving the location a slightly different character throughout the year. Visitors often find themselves spending far longer here than expected because the scenery invites slow exploration. The location works particularly well as part of a wider scenic journey through the region. Even during busier periods there are usually quieter corners where the scenery can be appreciated at a slower pace. Those who enjoy scenic locations often describe Legoland Windsor as a place worth returning to in different seasons.

LEGOLAND Windsor Resort is one of the UK's most popular family theme parks, located near Windsor in Berkshire and built around the iconic LEGO brick brand. The park features over 55 rides, shows and attractions themed around LEGO sets and characters, with dedicated areas including LEGO City, LEGO Ninjago World, LEGO Friends Heartlake City and a waterpark. The resort attracts millions of visitors annually and is particularly suited to families with children aged between two and twelve years. On-site hotels allow guests to extend their stay in a fully LEGO-themed environment. The park's proximity to Windsor Castle, the Royal Windsor attractions and the broader Thames Valley heritage makes LEGOLAND a natural part of a longer family holiday in this corner of southeast England.

Windsor Great Park is one of the finest royal parks in Britain, a 5,000-acre landscape of ancient woodland, formal gardens, a long avenue and the Virginia Water lake that extends south from Windsor Castle through the Berkshire and Surrey countryside in a designed landscape reflecting the ambitions and tastes of successive royal patrons from the medieval period to the present day. The park is open to the public and provides one of the finest and most accessible combinations of natural and designed landscape available near London. The Long Walk, a three-mile avenue of plane trees extending from the George IV Gate at Windsor Castle to the equestrian statue of George III at Snow Hill, is one of the most impressive formal landscape features in the royal parks, its alignment providing a direct visual connection between the castle and the park landscape that was established in the reign of Charles II. The view along the Long Walk from the statue back to the castle silhouette is one of the most reproduced images of Windsor. The Savill Garden within the park, established in the 1930s and extended over the following decades, is one of the finest ornamental gardens in Britain, its collection of rhododendrons, azaleas, roses and herbaceous plants providing excellent seasonal displays throughout the year. The Valley Garden adjacent provides a more naturalistic complement to the Savill Garden's formal qualities. The Virginia Water lake, created in the eighteenth century, provides the principal water feature and the lakeside walk is one of the most popular routes in the park, the ruins of Roman columns brought from Libya adding an unexpected archaeological element to the landscape.