Top Tips for Autumn in Windsor and Maidenhead

Welcome to autumn in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.

The days may be getting shorter but there are plenty of things to do and look forward to, particularly in the run up to the busy Christmas events season.

If you are coming to the Windsor area during September, October or November, here are our top tips to enjoy autumn in Windsor and the Royal Borough.

Enjoy an autumnal festival season in Windsor

The Windsor Fringe is the second oldest fringe in the UK and highlights include drama, dance, Artists Open Houses and the Kenneth Branagh Award for New Drama Writing.

Windsor Festival is a veritable smorgasbord of cultural treats!  From talks, walks and carriage rides to music, exhibitions and open houses, there's bound to be something to appeal.

At Ascot Racecourse, enjoy mouth-watering action, on and off the track, at one of late summer’s most popular racing weekends combined with a fabulous food and wine festival.

Cliveden, near Maidenhead, is a magnificent English country house with a unique and extraordinary history of politics and intrigue, aristocracy and espionage, sex and scandal.

Ever since 1666, the house has also been known for its literary salon, helping to inspire writers from Alexander Pope and George Bernard Shaw, Jonathan Swift and Lord Tennyson to Sir Winston Churchill.

Find out more at the two-day Cliveden Literary Festival which evokes the spirit of the great writers and potentates who stayed here and continue the tradition of the house as a sanctuary for lovers of literature.

See Windsor Castle from a different angle

Until the end of September, climb the 200 steps to the top of Windsor Castle's iconic Round Tower and enjoy breathtaking views across the historic Windsor parkland, the Thames Valley, London skyline as well as the extent of Windsor Castle.

You’ll be 65.5 metres above the River Thames and you’ll get a close view of the castle’s 15-metre flagpole which flies the Royal Standard when The Queen is in residence and the Union Flag when Her Majesty is away from Windsor. 

Please note, there is an extra charge for this tour and you must be aware of the safety information and height restrictions before booking your ticket.

Autumn and winter is the time for private evening tours of Windsor Castle's fabulous State Apartments.  The Royal Wedding outfits of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will also be in display from 26 October 2018 to 6 January 2019. Find out more!

Toast the arrival of autumn

Traditionally autumn was the time when breweries started brewing again after the warm summer months, using newly-harvested barley and hops.

As the nights draw in, toast the arrival of autumn by popping down to some fabulous beer-related events in the Windsor and Maidenhead area in October. 

Ascot Beer Festival features more than 240 thirst-quenching real ales, ciders and perries to sample, Ascot will transform into the ultimate local.

And look out for the Windsor and Eton Brewery’s Canberra Autumnal Ale as it makes an appearance in October.

Admire the autumn colours

The rich red, orange and brown hues of autumn are a sight to behold. 

Cliveden’s autumn colours show from late September right through to early November, making it worth several visits to appreciate how the dramatic landscape scenery transforms over the season.

Enjoy some special autumn adventures for the children at Cliveden too including an apple weekend and bat trail.

Why not admire Cliveden’s dramatic colour from the river aboard a French Brother’s Autumn Colours sailing? 

Cruise from Maidenhead through the magnificent hanging woods at Cliveden and experience the beautiful colours of autumn.  There’s a choice of two sailings from Maidenhead – a morning trip with hearty ploughman's lunch and an afternoon trip with a full English tea.

You can’t help but be amazed by the stunning autumn colour for which Windsor Great Park is famous – especially the maples and cherries in The Savill Garden and The Valley Gardens.

The tree-lined Long Walk – just a short walk from Windsor town centre – is a fantastic place to collect fallen conkers from the Horse Chestnut trees.

Join Ascot Carriages for a relaxing horse-drawn carriage ride from the Savill Building and admire the ever-changing and spectacular seasonal colour from the comfort of the carriage.

See the royal wedding outfits at a special Windsor Castle exhibition 'A Royal Wedding: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex'

Visitors to Windsor Castle this autumn and winter are in for a treat.  A special Royal Wedding exhibition will feature the wedding outfits worn by the couple at their wedding in May 2018.

The exhibition runs from 26 October 2018 to 6 January 2019 and is included in the Windsor Castle ticket price.

October half term children and family events in the Windsor area

We always have some very special half term events for children and families taking place in October celebrating Harvest to Hallowe’en.

Enjoy arts and crafts, activity trails, family theatre, events celebrating apples and pumpkins, Hallowe’en fancy dress and plenty of spooky surprises!

Visit our Ideas and Inspiration pages and get planning.

Pumpkin carving in Windsor and Maidenhead

Both Windsor Royal Shopping and Maidenhead’s Nicolson Shopping Centre host free pumpkin carving workshops – let your imagination run wild as you carve your pumpkin and impress the judges!

Firework displays in Windsor, Maidenhead and Ascot

Bonfire Night falls on 5 November.

Check out the spectacular firework displays taking place in the Royal Borough.

Venues include Ascot Racecourse, Royal Windsor Racecourse and Legoland Windsor Resort.

Contemporary Art Fairs - Windsor

Contemporary Art Fairs – Windsor is THE destination for art lovers, collectors, interior designers, homemakers and those who simply want to learn more about today’s art and artists.

Browse the wide range of styles and media on display from more than 150 artists exhibiting.

You’ll see everything from glass to sculpture to photography, from textural abstract to realism, from fields of flowers to architectural constructs, from the extraordinary to the ordinary to the avant garde.

It’s more than just an Art Fair; with a line-up of artworks, activities, live painting demonstrations, workshops and the Prince's Trust miniature canvas initiative, it is a creative, cultural and fun-filled art extravaganza!

Why not come along to Friday’s Private View?  Enjoy fine art and fine wine, with room to engage with other art enthusiasts, relax and enjoy the live music.

Or drop in any time over the weekend to a fair full of great contemporary art, by living artists, at affordable prices.

Watch the Christmas light switch-ons

The turning on of the Christmas lights will get everybody into the yuletide spirit! 

The light switch on events in the Windsor, Eton and Maidenhead area mark the start of a whole host of fun Christmas events for all the family.

Discover one of the greatest British painters of the 20th Century

In the tiny former Methodist Chapel in the pretty riverside town of Cookham, discover the wonderful art of the characterful Stanley Spencer.

The Stanley Spencer Gallery has two exhibitions a year and the winter exhibition launches in November.

Why not visit this hidden gem for yourself?

Get your skates on for Windsor on Ice

Windsor’s ice rink Windsor on Ice enjoys a wonderful riverside location in Alexandra Gardens.

It’s fun for all the family, with a rink that’s covered – perfect  protection from any wintry weather. 

Ice skating sessions run throughout the day and the site has fairground rides, including dodgems, and on-site catering.

Turn your visit into a short break!

There’s so much to see and do in the area, why not stay a few nights?

Visit our accommodation pages to discover a huge range of accommodation options to suit all budgets, from five star spa retreats to cosy and comfortable bed and breakfasts and self-catering apartments.

Check out What's On

Search What’s On for all the latest event information.