Winkfield offers two distinct focal points for a trip: heritage and landscape. St Mary’s Parish Church, Ascot Place, the White Hart Public House, the moated site at Winkfield Lane and Chawridge Bank provide specific ways to explore these themes. You can choose where to visit based on whether you are most interested in historic buildings, a water-rich parkland landscape or features of meadows.
Church, country house and historic inn
The Church of St Mary is a Grade II* listed parish church in Winkfield. Ascot Place is a Grade II listed country house set in parkland with a large lake and a grotto. The White Hart Public House is an inn dating from the late 16th century and is now a pub. These sites represent different types of buildings: a parish church, a country house and a historic inn. Their designations also differ: St Mary is Grade II*, while Ascot Place and the White Hart are Grade II listed. If you are interested in the built heritage, building type and designation offer two specific ways to understand Winkfield’s historic places.
Parkland and water at Ascot Place
At Ascot Place, the landscape is part of the setting of the country house. It covers 110 hectares and is crossed from east to west by a stream that has been widened to form several lakes. The large lake and grotto add further clearly defined features to the parkland. If you are interested in landscape, you can take in not only the country house but also the extent and course of the water. Compared with a description of a single historic building, the distinctive focus at Ascot Place is clear: the country house, parkland and water features stand out together.
Moated site and meadow features
The ‘Moated site at Winkfield Lane’ is of particular interest because it is well preserved and has a diverse range of features. Where the moat is still visible, it measures up to 12 metres wide and up to 1 metre deep. These measurements give a tangible impression of the surviving site without reducing its significance to the moat alone.
Chawridge Bank lies in the parishes of Warfield and Winkfield and is a sloping old meadow with large anthills, a variety of wildflowers and an abundance of insects. This makes it a different type of landscape from Ascot Place: here, the meadow, plants and insects define the scene, while there, parkland and water take centre stage. If you would like to compare natural features with historic buildings, this contrast offers a specific guide to choosing the focus of your trip.
A starting point for a walk
A circular walk in Winkfield starts at the car park of St Mary’s Parish Church. If you plan to use this starting point, check the current parking situation before setting off. This lets you include the walk in your plans without assuming a walking time or a specific distance.
When looking for a hotel in Winkfield, you can first consider whether heritage, parkland or meadow features will shape your stay most. The places and landscapes described offer different thematic starting points; your choice depends on which best matches your travel interests.
Discover more destinations: Crowthorne, Sandhurst, Bracknell, Binfield, Winkfield Row.
For the wider travel overview: Bracknell Forest.
