Long Walk

The Long Walk is the great ceremonial route from the Castle into Windsor Great Park, stretching 2.65 miles to the Copper Horse, the equestrian memorial to George III. Originally laid out by Charles II in 1685, it was an approach of ‘great magnificence’, a double avenue of oak and elm trees. The King used it for walking and also hunting stag in the Great Park. Queen Anne added a central carriageway in 1710. Jeffrey Wyatville redesigned it in 1824 as a ceremonial route to the Castle. State Visit processions enter the Castle via Park Street and the Long Walk. When President Gorbachev of Russia lunched with the Queen in 1989, he arrived by this route in a convoy of 36 cars.

The Copper Horse depicts George III in the dress of a great Roman Emperor and was commissioned by George IV. The statue, which is 26 feet high, was sculpted by Sir Richard Westmacott, RA and stands on a rocky pedestal. It was unveiled in 1822. A feature of the statue is that the King has no stirrups and various suggestions are made as to the reason for this.