About the walk
A circular walk from Cooper's Hill in Englefield Green taking in the Runnymede meadows, a stretch of the River Thames and visiting three beautiful memorials along the way, the John F Kennedy Memorial, the Magna Carta Memorial and the Air Forces Memorial.
Route details
- Start and end of walk: Cooper's Hill Lane, just north of Englefield Green
- Car park postcode: Hollycombe TW20 0LQ
- Difficulty: Challenging terrain
- Distance: 4.5 miles (7 kilometres)
- Type of walk: Circular
- Approximate time: 3 Hours
- Accessibility: kissing gates, steps, some climbs and descents. Crossing of water meadows can be wet and muddy. Stretch of busy road at the start of the walk
- Facilities: public toilets in car park at the start, refreshment choices in Englefield Green. Additional facilities at Runnymede Pleasure Grounds at stage 3 of the walk
- Ordnance Survey Map number: Explorer 160 Windsor, Weybridge and Bracknell
Getting there
By car: the walk starts and finishes from the free car park on Cooper's Hill Lane, just north of Englefield Green. The car park is alongside the recreation ground at the junction between Hollycombe and Cooper's Hill Lane and is marked with brown tourism signs as the car park for the Air Forces Memorial. The nearest post code is for Hollycombe TW20 0LQ.
By bus: take a look at Surrey bus timetables for details of public transport.
Accreditation
Photo of the Magna Carta memorial published on Mid-Surrey self-guided walks page with kind permission of National Trust images (copyright James Dobson).
Points of Interest
Much of the land around this walk is looked after by The National Trust, there is much more information on their website.
John F Kennedy memorial. This simple stone memorial is a 7-ton block of Portland Stone thought to be around 100 million years old. There are 50 steps in all each representing one of the states of the USA. Each of the cobble setts are said to represent the multitude of pilgrims on their journey to enlightenment.
The Magna Carta is a charter that was agreed by King John in these very fields back in 1215, it was written in a bid to make peace between the King and a group of rebel barons who strongly believed the King should not be above the law. Runnymede was chosen as the meeting place to sign the charter as it was located on neutral ground between the royal fortress at Windsor Castle and the rebel's base in Staines. The water-logged nature of the meadows also gave reassurance to both sides that they would not face military threat. Magna Carta represented a major step forward in political reform, promising protection of church rights, protection from illegal imprisonment, access to swift justice and limitations on royal powers. Many of these principles still stand today including trial by jury and other civil liberties. The domed classical temple memorial dedicated in 1957 is a tribute to Magna Carta and was built of Portland Stone with eight octagonal pillars. Surrounding the memorial are eight English oak trees.
The Air Forces Memorial at walk stage 5 consists of a shrine enclosed by cloisters. More than 116,000 men and women of the commonwealth air forces gave their lives during World War II. This memorial is a fitting tribute to the 20,000 with no known graves. If you want to visit at walk stage 5, go through the central courtyard and at the far side you will find a balcony with views across the River Thames. If you can, it is well worth climbing the spiral staircase to reach the roof-top viewing platform. On a clear day this will give you magnificent views of Windsor Castle, Heathrow Airport and beyond.
Walk directions
This walk follows public footpaths and bridleways which cross private and public land. If you come across a problem on a public right of way, please notify us on our online fault reporting form.
For any feedback on this walk email us: countryside.bookings@surreycc.gov.uk.
Stages from start point through to end of walk
Please follow the Countryside Code.
The numbers of each stage of the walk correspond with the points shown on the map.
- Start from car park to Priest Hill Farm
- Stage 1: Priest Hill Farm to Magna Carta memorial
- Stage 2: Magna Carta memorial to Queen Elizabeth statue
- Stage 3: Queen Elizabeth statue to Bell Weir lock
- Stage 4: Bell Weir lock to Cooper's Hill
- Stage 5: Cooper's Hill to end of walk
Start from car park to Priest Hill Farm
Leave the car park onto Cooper's Hill Lane and turn left along the road with care, heading away from the signed Air Forces Memorial. Pass between a handful of houses and then ignore the side road on the left, simply follow the main lane ahead with a red brick boundary wall running on the right.
Please note extra care is needed for the next stretch as the main road can be busy. Follow the lane all the way to the T-junction at the end keeping left at the fork to reach this. Turn right along the narrow grass verge and follow this steadily downhill along Priest Hill. You can cross over the road to join the pavement running on the left-hand side of the road if you prefer. Part way down the hill turn right through the white gate to join the tarmac lane signed as a public footpath. Follow this tarmac lane leading you steadily downhill for some distance. At the bottom of the hill you will reach Priest Hill Farm.
Stage 1: Priest Hill Farm to Magna Carta Memorial
Keep straight ahead passing the buildings of Priest Hill Farm on your right to join the unmade track leading you past a National Trust Runnymede sign on your left. At the junction keep straight ahead and the path will lead you directly to a cobbled clearing of the simple stone memorial to John F Kennedy. With your back to the memorial walk straight ahead and follow the cobbled steps, named the steps of individuality and continue downhill. At the bottom of the steps go through the kissing gate into Runnymede fields and turn right following the stream and boundary fence on your right. Just before you reach the field corner turn right through the wooden gate to enter the site of the Magna Carta Memorial, which is worth taking time to explore.
Stage 2: Magna Carta Memorial to Queen Elizabeth Statue
When you have finished exploring the memorial leave via the gate from which you entered. Turn right for a few paces to reach the field corner. Do not go through the gate ahead, instead turn left along the field edge heading towards the road with the wire fence running on your right. On your right you will pass a memorial plaque marking the 800-year anniversary celebration of Magna Carta held in June 2015.
As you reach the road ahead turn right through the kissing gate into a field that may be holding livestock and follow the field edge with the fence and road running on your left. After 150 metres turn left through the kissing gate and cross over Windsor Road with care using the central island. At the far side keep ahead across the grass verge and then turn right to join the Thames Path with the River Thames running on your left and the road running on your right. Continue on the Thames Path following the river downstream and further along, stay with the river as it swings left leading you away from the road. On the right you will come to a relatively new statue of Queen Elizabeth II that was unveiled in June 2015 as part of the 800-year anniversary Magna Carta celebrations. .
Stage 3: Queen Elizabeth Statue to Bell Weir Lock
Continue along the Thames Path with the river running on your left and the fields of Runnymede Pleasure Grounds on your right. You will pass the paddling pool, refreshment chalet on your right and public toilets. Stay with the riverside path keeping left at the fork to pass Wraysbury Skiff and Punting Club on your right. Follow the riverside path passing properties lining each side of the river, as well as a large black commercial building on your right. Keep ahead on the Thames Path and you will come to a boatyard, continue ahead along the towpath going over the humped bridge until you reach Bell Weir Lock. In the summer this is a hive of activity as boats queue to pass through the lock heading up and downstream.
Stage 4: Bell Weir Lock to Cooper's Hill
Retrace your steps from the lock and walk back along the towpath heading back to the boatyard. Cross the humped bridge over the water inlet and immediately after the boatyard buildings turn left down the tarmac access road called Yard Mead. At the end of the road you will come to a junction with Windsor Road. Cross over with care and go through the staggered barrier to enter the field ahead. Take the tarmac path which leads you across the field diagonally left.
Just before the wooden barrier at the end of the field stop and look to the right. You will see a choice of two subtle grass paths across the grass water meadow. Take the right-hand of these two paths heading for the summit of the tree-covered hill in the distance (you may be able to see a cream-coloured property peeping above the hilltop treeline). Follow this often boggy path directly ahead passing through a small section of reeds and trees and on to reach a wooden kissing gate at the far end. Please note if the ground is too waterlogged you could divert and follow the left-hand field boundary instead. Pass through the kissing gate to enter a pasture which may have livestock and walk in the same direction up the hillside to reach the gate at the top. Pass though the kissing gate to reach a junction with a rough vehicle track, Cooper's Hill.
Stage 5: Cooper's Hill to end of walk
Turn right joining the tarmac track which leads you steeply uphill. Further along the track leads you past the entrance gates for a property on your left. Towards the top of the hill ignore the gate into Cooper's Hill Wood on your right. Stay with the main track which swings left and then becomes a road passing university halls of residence on your left. Beyond these buildings stay with the vehicle lane swinging right. After 40 metres you will reach the entrance gates for the Air Forces Memorial on your right, which you may choose to visit. Turn right to continue past the Air Forces Memorial Lodge on your right and further along you will come to the Cooper's Hill Lane car park on your left, where the walk began.
Map
The map shows the start of the route from Cooper's Hill Lane past Priest Hill Farm to the Magna Carta memorial and then the statue. The route then goes along the Thames Path for some distance before crossing Windsor Road and then across pasture meadows uphill to reach Cooper's Hill, the Air Forces memorial and back to the car park. Select the map of the route below to open a more detailed version in a new window that can be printed if necessary, using your browser print tool. Alternatively you can save the image to your mobile device for reference on your walk.
