The Windsor illuminated light show is a seasonal but not overly Christmasy affair. It is of a similar quality and scale to Kew Gardens, helped by having the lake and many wonderful trees as a backdrop. Some of the displays sound children focused, but even these - the fairy disco - are technically intriguing. Some installations take a two or three minutes to run through their cycle - its bemusing to find people walking straight past without pausing to watch the spectacle. Some will be familiar to light trail visitors here and elsewhere - the tunnel of light. Others were new - including the sipra-light trees and swirlpools; which draped over the forest floor, with a sense of bring under water. Also impressive was the display over the lake, this year called myths of the lake - a light projection onto fine mist including winged horses, a winter story book and a dragon.
If you are travelling from some distance and are a good walker, it can be combined with a visit earlier in the day to Savill gardens. The starting point for the trail is in Savill car park. The charges vary a lot depending on the day of the week and time, mid week are cheeper. A few tips - earlier slots are better, it is dark by 16.30 and less cold to walk around. You can easily spend a couple of hours going around, longer if you spend time taking photographs and stop for a hot drink. There are toilet facilities 2/3 of the way around and at the start/end. There are benches to sit at two points but these stay very damp, a good idea to take something to sit on top of. The shop at Savill gardens (and toilets) stay open. The cafe and restaurant will also be open in the peak season. This has a good range of vegetarian and vegan choices.