Sunningdale: Nature, Golf and Victorian Church Art

Sunningdale combines extensive parkland, a strong golfing tradition and Victorian church art. Anyone looking for a mixture of natural experiences, walks and cultural discoveries during their holiday will find various ways to make their stay varied. When choosing a holiday apartment or holiday house, you can consider whether your trip should focus more on peaceful paths, golf or historical impressions.

Parkland and Walking Trails

An important point of interest is Sunningdale Park. The site is a 19-hectare Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace, or SANG, established during 2022–23. The SANG site is managed for the benefit of people and wildlife. Visitors will see individual parkland trees, meadows and woodland areas, as well as views across rolling historic Grade-II parkland.

For a manageable visit, the signposted circular route of approximately 2 kilometres is a good option. The park has a mixture of surfaced and unsurfaced paths, as well as flatter routes and benches. Those who prefer a shorter circuit or would like to plan breaks along the way can take these different path conditions into account when planning their day. The Sunningdale Park Tree Trail is also laid out as a circular route and highlights notable tree species in the park.

There are also numerous grass and gravel paths on the SANG park site for walks with dogs. In addition, Sunningdale Parish Council has created four walking routes in and around Sunningdale. They use designated footpaths and bridleways; each of the four routes starts and ends at the Jubilee Clock on the A30. This allows you to choose between a park circuit and a more clearly defined walking route without combining the two options into a single trail.

The landscape of the area also includes impressive stands of trees and shrubs. Sunningdale, along with the neighbouring places of Ascot and Sunninghill, is known for these, including rhododendron bushes. This gives the surroundings a distinctive garden- and park-like character.

A Golfing Tradition with Different Playing Characteristics

Sunningdale Golf Club offers two historically distinctive courses. The Old Course was designed by Willie Park Junior and opened in 1901. The New Course was created by Harry Colt and first opened in 1923. On the New Course, narrow, winding fairways lined with heather and small, often elevated greens shape the playing experience.

Sunningdale Golf Club welcomes visitors annually from Monday to Thursday between May and October. Another option is Sunningdale Heath: visitors are welcome there, and green fees are offered on most days, including weekends and public holidays, subject to available tee times. The clubhouse houses the 1902 Bar, where drinks and food are available before or after a round of golf. Those planning a trip with varied interests can treat golf as a separate focus alongside walks and church art.

Church, Art and Remembrance

Holy Trinity Church was founded in 1840 and is a listed Grade-II building. Its architecture combines elements of High Victorian and Late Victorian Gothic. Inside are stained-glass windows by important Victorian designers, as well as an east window from the 1930s by Ninian Comper. The grave of the exiled sculptor Prince Victor of Hohenlohe is also located there.

Holy Trinity Sunningdale holds a weekly Book of Common Prayer service, which everyone is welcome to attend. In addition, Sunningdale’s war memorial commemorates the service of the people who lost their lives in the two world wars. Alongside landscape and sport, the area therefore also offers points of interest for visitors interested in architectural history, stained glass and local remembrance culture.

Which Accommodation Suits Your Travel Plans?

Nature lovers can make the park circuit, the Tree Trail and the walking routes the focus of their visit. For golf travellers, the visitor times at Sunningdale Golf Club, the green-fee options at Sunningdale Heath and the seasonal restriction from May to October are important points of reference. Those who prefer culture can plan their trip around Holy Trinity Church and the war memorial. Accommodation in Sunningdale can thus be selected according to your personal mix of activity, golf and history, without having to present the individual experiences as one combined route.

More Places for Your Search

If you would like to extend your accommodation search beyond Sunningdale, you can also include Old Windsor, Windsor, Hurley, Cookham, Datchet, Wraysbury, Sunninghill and Maidenhead in your further travel planning.

For the higher-level travel overview: Windsor And Maidenhead.