Slough offers several distinct starting points for a stay: protected parkland, a park with a sporting focus, architectural history and a museum with a wide-ranging collection. The parks represent different themes; St Laurence and the Slough Museum offer two different ways to explore history. You can tailor your stay to the focus that interests you most.

Parks with different focuses

Herschel Park covers 3.5 hectares. It is listed as a Grade II park and is also a nature reserve. Here, a specific area, heritage listing and nature conservation status come together. If you would like to explore natural and cultural heritage side by side, these features offer two different aspects of the same site.

Upton Court Park is Slough’s main sports park. Herschel Park and Upton Court Park are open 24 hours a day, year-round; check opening hours before your visit. The difference between them is clear from their profiles: Herschel Park is defined by its listing and nature conservation status, while Upton Court Park is defined by its role in sport. The two parks therefore offer different starting points for choosing a focus.

Salt Hill Park adds a historical purpose to the selection. In 1907, it was handed over to the council so that it could be maintained permanently as a public recreation area for the people of Slough. The handover was therefore linked to its long-term recreational function. While Herschel Park is notable for its listing and nature conservation status, and Upton Court Park for sport, Salt Hill Park is defined by this specific purpose.

St Laurence: architectural and scientific history

St Laurence is considered the oldest building in Slough and dates from the mid-12th century. The church is listed as a Grade I building. It contains the tomb of William Herschel, who discovered the planet Uranus. Architectural history and the history of science come together at this particular site. The connection to Herschel adds the discovery of a planet to the history of this medieval building.

The Slough Museum: a broad sweep of time and a specific event

The Slough Museum’s collection spans around 10,000 years, from woolly mammoths to the present day. Its time span therefore reaches far beyond the history of a single building or period. The museum has eight pods at The Curve. Together, the extensive collection and the pods give a concrete impression of the museum’s different aspects.

At The Curve Club, the Slough Museum holds “Make with the Museum” on the last Saturday of every month. If you would like to plan around this event, check the date before your visit, as the schedule may change.

The different historical reference points can also be compared chronologically: St Laurence dates from the mid-12th century, Salt Hill Park was handed over to the council in 1907, and the museum collection spans around 10,000 years. This lets you distinguish between the history of a specific building, a park’s designated recreational function and a collection spanning a broad sweep of time.

Discover more destinations: St Leonards, Farnham Royal, Seer Green, Stone, Wendover, Pitstone, Aston Clinton, Little Horwood.

For the main travel overview: Buckinghamshire.