Sunningdale Park

• Free parking ( 2.1m height barrier)
• Bins
• Benches
• Surfaced paths
• Grade II listed landscaped park and gardens
• 2.4km circular walk on surfaced path

Where you’ll find it…

Find the free car park on Linnet Drive, just off Silwood Road, Sunningdale. Nearest postcode SL5 0LS. Grid reference SU 94947 67869. What3Words: influencing.prep.decreased.

N.B. We’ve given the nearest postcode, but recommend using the links to look up the exact location. The centre of a postcode may be up to half a mile from your destination.

What you’ll find there…

It’s a treat to visit the landscaped parkland of Sunningdale Park. As you explore, you’ll discover delightful views, glimpses of the mansion house, Northcote House, and relics of its ornamental garden. You’ll also discover some beautiful veteran trees, including an impressive Sweet Chestnut said to be 500 years old. The last private owner of Sunningdale Park was Sir Hugo Cunliffe-Owen, President of the British-American Tobacco Company and Chairman of Cunliffe-Owen Aircraft Ltd. He finished building the present mansion house in 1931 and his coat of arms appears above the main entrance. When Sir Hugo died in 1947, Sunningdale Park was sold to the Crown and became the Civil Defence Staff College in January 1950. It housed the National School of Government from 1970 – 2012. Today the park is a beautiful natural space and has rich biodiversity, supporting many species of plants and animals, as well as a wide range of habitats, flora and fauna as shown in the biodiversity brochure.

The walk as shown on the information boards was not fully open when we visited in October 2023. It was possible to do a 2.5km circular walk by repeating the section from the car park and into the woodland. The route will no doubt adapt as current development work progresses.

Note: Dog walkers may find it useful to know that there’s no water suitable for swimming. There’s a wildlife pond and an ornamental pond. The walk beside the latter, in what was once the Northcote House gardens, requires dogs to be on leads.

Gallery…

This ‘Greenspace on your doorstep’ is managed by…

Scofells