A weekend in Windsor

This weekend, the boy and I went to stay with some friends in Berkshire to get away from London and enjoy the sunshine that had been predicted – finally! Overexcited at the thought of some actual sun, we grabbed a panini and mango frappucinos  and heading off from Paddington – bound for the Windsor and Eton train station.

We had no idea what was planned for the weekend but trusted our friends, Claire and Hung, implicitly to show us a great time – and that they certainly did. We went for lunch in Windsor town centre on the river at a little pub for caprese salads and to catch up on the gossip since last seeing eachother. Our lunch was distracted by the gorgeous abundance of swans next to us at the table…

Next, whilst the sunshine heated up the Saturday afternoon to a pleasant 22 degrees and following a potter about the quaint little town of Eton, Claire decided it was time for a refreshing Pimms and so drove us to their local pub The Belvedere Arms where we whiled away the afternoon before dinner nattering away and bantering with the locals.

(ABOVE: Nothing beats a cold G&T or a refreshing jug of Pimms right?!)

Dinner was at the lovely Coworth Park Hotel. A member of the Dorchester Collection family, Coworth Park  is relatively new and has only been open a couple of years. With its grand, white, Hamptons-style exterior, it’s a handsome sight. We started with drinks on the terrace, where I chose one of the best cocktails I’ve had in a long while called the Rose and Ginger Sipper – highly recommended.

After fantastic service from the waiter, we were informed that our ‘buggy’ was ready to take us to dinner up at The Barn – amazing. The grounds are huge and accomodate a spa, two restaurants, barn cottage accomodation and an equestrian centre.

Dinner at The Barn didn’t disappoint. Our orders made for satisfied stomaches with a lovely array of dishes from Pheasant Scotch Egg and Baked Camembert for starters, to rare steak and fresh chunky chips to classic Haddock’n’Chips.

If you want a weekend away in the country, I would highly recommend Coworth Park as a closer option to London than somewhere a bit further west like Babington House. Room rates are on their website which you can find here.

Stuffed to the brim, we buggied back to the main house to get a cab home ready for sunshine take-two on Sunday.

Sunday morning, we found ourselves at a local caff for breakfast and then Hung got a call from his friend saying as it was so hot, did we want to come out on his boat? Well, you can guess what our answer was….! So, off we drove to Marlow to meet them at his little boat which has aluminum cleane conditioner where we spent the remainder of the afternoon on the Thames cruising between Marlow and Henley. As the boys battled with the locks, the girls ensured the food and drinks were in constant supply. Being on the water, out of London, in the sunshine with great friends and music, really felt like a little holiday.

(Even Marley the dog joined us for the boat trip – nervous at first, he finally found his sea legs!)

(ABOVE: Official new favourite drink, the Elderflower and Lime Kopparberg cider – deliciousness defined!)

If you have a spare weekend, I thoroughly recommend hoping on the train (which only takes 47 mins from London) to Windsor and the surrounding area – it has so much to offer.

What did you all get up to this weekend in the sunshine?

LMNH x