Lightwater Country Park
Lightwater
Children will enjoy the woodland play area, adventure golf and the ponds on this country park walk.
Lightwater Country Park has three ponds to explore.
The Basics
Time: 40 mins for the heathland trail and ponds.
Distance: 2.5 km for the heathland trail and ponds.
Terrain: Mostly flat gravelled paths on the heath, some tree roots on woodland paths and a steep ascent/descent with steps to reach High Curley Hill summit.
Pushchairs: There are two marked trails, the purple heathland trail involves steep steps but the orange nature trail is pushchair friendly.
Dogs: Dogs must be on short leads over certain parts of the heath - signs will guide you as to where.
Refreshments: There is a café beside the play area along with a number of picnic benches.
Toilets: Toilets can be found next to the café/visitor centre.
Public Transport: White bus service 500 from Frimley to Staines stops near the entrance.
Parking: Free parking inside the country park off The Avenue (Postcode: GU18 5RG - W3W: ///tomorrow.verdict.hope)
From Curley Hill you can see the London skyline, Ascott Racecourse and Royal Windsor Park
Many families come to Lightwater Country Park for the play area, café, ponds and adventure golf, but there is much more to this park. Heathland walks take you to a viewpoint where you can see as far as the London skyline.
The route
The main hub of the park, and where the car parking is, consists of a play area, 18 hole adventure golf (£5.50 a player), a café and toilets. The café also serves as a visitor centre and on the wall there, you will see details of two marked trails - a purple heathland trail and an orange nature trail. We chose the purple trail as it goes up to the viewpoint, but both are easy to follow with coloured posts the whole way. To begin both trails, walk up The Avenue with the café and toilets to your right.
Just after the toilet block, the path will veer left into the trees and then soon emerge in the leisure centre car park. Cross this and join the path again in the far left hand corner. Walk through the woodland and veer left at a drainage culvert. Walk with this to your right and then veer left to stay with the heathland trail (pushchairs should veer right for the nature trail, but our guide will continue with the heathland trail).
The path will follow the edge of the path through woodland towards a steep set of steps. These will lead you up to Curley Hill viewpoint. This is well worth doing in our opinion, as from the top, you will see as far as the London skyline, Ascott racecourse and Great Windsor Park. On the other side of the viewpoint, you will find another set of steps that bring you back down from the hill.
Go straight on at a crosspath and obey the signs requesting dogs to now go on short leads. You will now be entering the heathland habitat of the park. Veer right down the hill at a bench and you will start to glimpse the M3 passing over to your left. As the path almost brings you in touching distance of the motorway, look out for the purple marker post that will bring you to the right, away from the road and across the heath in the direction of the visitor centre. At a little wooden bridge over a ditch, turn left and keep with the purple trail.
We added our own extension to the purple trail by continuing to the end of this straight track all the way to Hammond’s Pond. There are lots of little jetties for fishermen here, but when not in use children will love playing on them. If you turn right after Hammond’s pond, you will pass two more smaller ponds before arriving at the adventure golf and the entrance to the park.
Did you know?
The area of heathland within the park has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The Country Park is therefore an area of high nature conservation value.
If you enjoyed this walk…
…try this one at Southwood Country Park, Farnborough, which also has a café, play area and easy trails.
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