Natural landmarks · South East England
Virginia Water Lake
In or near Sunningdale.
Virginia Water Lake — lake on the boundary of Berkshire and Surrey, in England, UK.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1 h–2 h
- Nearest railway station
- Longcross · 2.9 km
- Free entry
- Dog-friendly
Getting there & planning your visit
Virginia Water Lake is located in Surrey, with the nearest railway station being Longcross, approximately 2.9 km away. Entry to the lake is free, and it is accessible to visitors. The postcode for navigation is GU25 4NU.
About
Virginia Water Lake is a named natural landmark in the United Kingdom. Wikidata describes it as: "lake on the boundary of Berkshire and Surrey, in England, UK". Coordinates: 51.4111°, -0.6028°.
Photo gallery
360° view
Imagery © Mapillary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Windsor Forest and Great Park SSSI
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Virginia Water lies on the southern edge of Windsor Great Park, in the borough of Runnymede in Surrey and the civil parishes of Old Windsor and Sunningdale in Berkshire, in England. It is a man-made lake taking its name from a natural body of water of the same name. There is a village of Virginia Water which stretches out to the east of the lake. The grounds of the lake, nearby Fort Belvedere, and the Clockcase are all Grade I listed on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
Virginia Water lake was originally little more than a stream, which existed from at least the 17th century and may well be named after Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen, although this is not certain. The lake itself was begun in 1746 by William, Duke of Cumberland who was then Ranger of the Park. His own regiment, the 23rd Regiment of Foot, undertook the construction.
Visiting
The lake has been used for lakeside scenes for the Harry Potter films. The Scottish alternative was deemed unsuitable due to the number of midges. The lake was also used for scenes in the 2014 film Into the Woods. It was also used as the scene for the drone strike attack scenes in the 2019 action thriller movie Angel Has Fallen. The park features in a pivotal chapter of Barbara Pym's 1978 novel The Sweet Dove Died.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.4111, -0.6028
- County
- Surrey
- District
- Runnymede
- Parish
- Runnymede, unparished area
- Postcode
- GU25 4NU
- Parliamentary constituency
- Windsor
- Nearest railway station
- Longcross — 2.9 km
Sources
- wikidata: Q7347669 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Virginia Water (lake) (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Virginia Water Lake 1.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Virginia Water
Lakes · 0.0 km
Leptis Magna
Historic houses · 0.4 km
Leptis Magna
Archaeological sites · 0.4 km
Plunkett Memorial Temple
Memorials & monuments · 0.5 km
Savill Garden and Valley Gardens
Gardens · 0.5 km
The Cascade
Waterfalls · 0.6 km
Cascade
Viewpoints · 0.7 km
Valley Gardens
Botanic gardens · 0.7 km
The Totem Pole
Memorials & monuments · 1.0 km
Fort Belvedere
Castles · 1.0 km
Fort Belvedere
Castles · 1.0 km
Smith's Lawn Airfield
Memorials & monuments · 1.0 km
Nearby
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Plunkett Memorial Temple
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Virginia Water Lake?
- Virginia Water Lake is in Surrey, South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode GU25 4NU), in the parish of Runnymede, unparished area.
- What is Virginia Water Lake?
- Virginia Water Lake — lake on the boundary of Berkshire and Surrey, in England, UK.
- How do I get to Virginia Water Lake?
- The nearest railway station is Longcross, about 2.9 km away. Drivers can use postcode GU25 4NU.
- Is Virginia Water Lake a protected site?
- Yes — Virginia Water Lake is part of the Windsor Forest and Great Park SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- Is Virginia Water Lake free to visit?
- Yes, Virginia Water Lake is free to enter.
- How do I get to Virginia Water Lake?
- The nearest railway station is Longcross, about 2.9 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode GU25 4NU.