Runnymede is a few minutes away, and it carries more weight than any other meadow in England. King John sealed Magna Carta there in June 1215, and a memorial stands on the riverbank, with another to John F. Kennedy on a hillside above.
It is a good place to finish a ride that crossed the Wessex Downs. The roads here are flat and busy, with traffic lights and roundabouts, and the surface is generally good, though patched in places. But Windsor Great Park, just south, has long straight avenues and quiet lanes, with ancient oaks and herds of deer, and the Long Walk, which runs three miles from the castle to the Copper Horse statue, is one of the finest avenues in the country. Vehicles are not allowed on the Long Walk, so park and walk.
The river is the real feature. The Thames here is wide and slow, with meadows, locks and boat houses, and swans and geese gather along the banks. Datchet has a pretty green, a village pub and a long bridge over the river, and Old Windsor has an old priory site and a church with a tower. The castle, which has been a royal residence for almost a thousand years, is the largest inhabited castle in the world, and its walls dominate the skyline for miles around.
Fuel is easy at Windsor and Old Windsor, with stations and supermarkets, and the streets of Windsor have cafes and pubs for every taste. A pint by the river, with the castle across the water, is a fine ending to a day.
Heathrow's flight path is nearby, so expect aircraft overhead, but the quiet of the meadow is a surprising contrast.