Wraysbury offers several distinct themes for a stay: a 4½-mile walking route, architectural and landscape history, birdwatching at former gravel pits, and wrecks at the dive centre. When planning your trip, you can choose a focus—exercise on a named route, historic architecture and archaeology, nature watching, or scuba diving. The themes do not need to be combined into a single day’s itinerary.

Wraysbury on Foot

The Wraysbury and Ankerwycke walk is 4½ miles long. It follows the Colne Brook, Wraysbury Lakes and the National Trust Ankerwycke Estate, and passes through the village of Wraysbury. It starts in the centre of the village. Plan the route as a walk in its own right. Before setting out, check the route conditions and verify the starting point against the current signs.

Church and Medieval Traces

The Church of St Andrew in Wraysbury is a Grade II* listed building. Its arcades and piers date from the 13th century, and the Lady Chapel from the 15th century; it also has an early brass depiction of a knight in Tudor armour from the 16th century. Architecture and furnishings from several centuries thus come together in one place.

Ankerwycke Priory was founded in the late 12th century. Its remains include part of a ruined 13th-century building, a moat, fishponds and extensive earthworks. The surviving part of the building is Grade II listed. The historical interest therefore includes archaeological features of the landscape as well as surviving structures.

Ankerwycke: Estate and Yew

Near Wraysbury lies Ankerwycke, a rural National Trust estate. It is notable for its wildlife, archaeology and remarkable trees. Also near Wraysbury stands the Ankerwycke Yew. Its age is estimated at about 2,500 years; it is considered the oldest tree in the care of the National Trust. The estate and the yew thus offer different points of interest for natural and cultural heritage.

Waterscape and Birdwatching

The flooded former gravel pits around Wraysbury comprise twelve main lakes. They extend from Horton Pits, north of the railway line, to Hyde End at Junction 13 of the M25. Wraysbury and Horton Gravel Pits offer opportunities for birdwatching; Goldeneye and Smew are sighted there in winter. The twelve lakes define the area, while sightings of Goldeneye and Smew provide a seasonal winter interest.

Scuba Diving and Getting There

Wraysbury Dive Centre is the only inland dive site in London and Southeast England dedicated exclusively to scuba diving. The centre has numerous wrecks of various sizes, including the fuselage of a 737 aircraft. This gives diving a distinct focus of its own alongside the walking route and birdwatching.

Trains from Windsor and Staines stop at Wraysbury station. Check the current timetable before travelling. Make a separate check for the Wraysbury and Ankerwycke walk: it starts in the village centre, but the starting point should be verified against the current signs. Also check the route conditions before setting out.

Discover more destinations: Maidenhead, Windsor, Old Windsor, Sunninghill, Sunningdale, Cookham, Hurley, Datchet

For the wider travel overview: Windsor And Maidenhead.