Maidenhead Road · Windsor · Berkshire SL4 5JJ · Monday evening meetings, summer
Windsor: the Monday evening racecourse
Almost all racing happens in the afternoon. Windsor built its reputation on summer Monday evenings, on a riverside course in a loop of the Thames, with the first race after most people have finished work and the last one done by nine. It is the most relaxed meeting in the south.
Evenings through the summer, which makes Windsor the one racecourse that fits around a working week rather than requiring a day off. First race in the early evening, last race around nine, and everybody home at a sensible hour.
Why an evening meeting is different
Shorter, cheaper and considerably less of a commitment than a Saturday card.
Early evening first race
No day off required, and no all-day drinking session either.
A short card
Which makes it an evening out rather than an occasion.
A loop of the river
The course sits in a bend of the Thames, and some people arrive by boat.
Castle and town
A mile away, and worth arriving early for if the weather is good.
Kent to Windsor
Round the M25 to the west. The evening timing means the journey out runs against the worst of the traffic.
| Pick-up area | Distance | Journey |
|---|---|---|
| Bromley & Orpington | 38 miles | 1h 5m – 1h 35m |
| Sevenoaks & Tonbridge | 41 miles | 1h 10m – 1h 40m |
| Dartford & Bluewater | 44 miles | 1h 15m – 1h 45m |
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 49 miles | 1h 20m – 1h 55m |
| Maidstone & Aylesford | 56 miles | 1h 30m – 2h 5m |
| Rochester & Chatham | 59 miles | 1h 35m – 2h 10m |
| Canterbury & Ashford | 83 miles | 2h – 2h 40m |
How a Windsor evening runs
Short, predictable and finished at a reasonable hour, which makes it one of the easiest bookings we do.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 16:30–17:30 | Leave Kent, running against the worst of the outbound traffic |
| 18:00–18:30 | Arrive. Time for a drink and the paddock before the first |
| Around 18:30 | First race |
| Every 25 to 30 minutes | Six or seven races on the card |
| Around 21:00 | Last race |
| 21:15–21:30 | We collect. Home in Kent by around 23:00 |
An evening at Windsor
It fits into a working week
This is the whole appeal and it is a real one. Every other racecourse on this site requires a Saturday or a day off. Windsor on a Monday evening means leaving after work, six races, and home before eleven. For a small company outing, a birthday or a group who fancy something on a weeknight, it is difficult to think of a better option within an hour of Kent.
The journey runs the right way
Leaving Kent at half four or five heading west means travelling out while the heavy traffic is heading in, and coming back at half nine when the roads are clear. It is one of the few London-area journeys where the timing genuinely works in your favour rather than against it.
Arrive early for the town if the weather is good
Windsor itself is a mile from the course, with the castle, the river and a great many places to eat. A great deal of our Windsor work involves an earlier pick-up, an hour or two in the town, and then the racecourse, which costs nothing extra when built into the quote and makes a considerably better evening of it.
A fixed finish means a simple booking
Racing runs to a published card and the last race is at a known time, so this is a set collection rather than an open return. We collect around a quarter past nine, back from the entrance where traffic is moving, and everyone is home at a sensible hour on a Monday night.
Windsor Races questions
Monday evenings by the river.
When does Windsor race?
Its best-known meetings are summer Monday evenings, with the first race in the early evening and the last around nine. It also races at other times, so check your date.
How far is Windsor from Kent?
Around forty to eighty-five miles, roughly an hour to two and a half hours round the M25, and the evening timing works in your favour.
What time would we get home?
Around eleven for a meeting finishing at nine, since the roads are clear by then. It is a genuine weeknight option.
Is it good for a work outing?
One of the best we know of within an hour of Kent. No day off required, a short card and everyone home at a sensible hour.
Can we spend time in Windsor first?
Yes, and plenty of groups do. The town is a mile from the course, with the castle and the river, and an earlier pick-up costs nothing extra when built into the quote.
Do people really arrive by boat?
Some do. The course sits in a loop of the Thames, which is part of its character.
How does the return work?
A set collection, usually around quarter past nine, back from the entrance where traffic is moving. Racing runs to a published card.
Is the fare fixed?
Yes, agreed at booking. A fixed finish means a fixed collection and nothing added afterwards.
Racecourses and evenings out
The weeknight options.