This wasn’t originally going to be a blog post, but I’ve had so many messages on Instagram asking where this phonebox and playground is at Eton, that I thought I’d share it here. If you’re a local, this is a lovely way to pass an hour or so. If you’re visiting from further, you can make this part of your day out, with the many cafes/restaurants in Eton and riverside walks and shops in Windsor. Plus there is my Eton Walking Trail you can do too.
Details
Location: South Meadow Lane, Eton, Berkshire SL4 6ES
Parking:
– Free on street car parking on South Meadow Lane by the park (in between the double yellow lines).
– Two free spaces with up to 2 hours parking by Eton College Natural History Museum.
– Nearest car park is Eton Court Car Park £2.70 for 2 hours.
Public Transport:
– Bus number 15 from Maidenhead/Eton Wick/Burnham/Slough
– Windsor & Eton Riverside and Central train stations – 10/15 min walk away.
Food: Cafes, restaurants and pubs 5/10 min walk away
Toilets: No
Pushchair-friendly: Yes
The Eton Bookshare Phonebox
Previously known as the gold phonebox, I only discovered it last month but I feel like it’s a major part of my life now! It’s so quirky, with the interiors having been changed to incorporate bookshelves – the idea being that people can leave a book and take one.
The phonebox was originally painted gold to honour former Eton College student Constantine Louloudis, who won gold at the 2016 Olympics. This month it was painted black for Black History Month, with the inside remaining gold.
Although I love the idea of a book share, with the pandemic still ongoing we are not touching the books (that’s our own book that Tyler is holding in the photo). The phonebox is nice to look at and take photos of for now! The phonebox is on Keats Lane at the junction with South Meadow Lane.
By the way, this is where I parked, by the Eton College Natural History Musuem. And the walk to the playground took us past this beautiful door.
The Eton Playground
Just a minute’s walk from the phonebox, up South Meadow Lane, brings you to Eton’s playground. It’s quite hidden, and you have to walk through black metal gates on the right to get to it. On the other side of the gates is an open green space with a small childrens playground at the front. It’s small but has everything a child could need – swings, baby swings, slide, boat, see-saw, xylophone, tightrope. It’s also a Pokestop if you play Pokemon Go.
I don’t have many photos of the younger childrens playground as this is an unplanned blog post, but believe me when I say it nice. The equipment itself is of a bog-standard council playground type, but it’s the setting that makes the difference. Having Windsor Castle in the distance, the sound of the Windsor train as the train line edges the park, and all the greenery and grand buildings in the surroundings.
In the green space is the older children’s equipment – you have a slide built into a mound, with a dip around it, like a moat. There’s a zip wire, another swing and a spinning roundabout thing. I’ll take more photos next time we visit and add to this post! My kids had the best time here, we were lucky to have the autumn sunshine shining down on an October Thursday after school.
When you come out of the playground, there is another meadow opposite where you can see Windsor Castle in the distance. If you walk across this field, it will take you to Eton Court Car Park and The Brocas/River Thames.
The photo next to it is of Keats Lane – seeing Eton College peeking between the two sides really is breath-taking, such a beautiful building.
If you are local to the area, this is such a lovely hidden gem. From Slough it’s only a 5 minute drive, and the McDonalds drive through is on the way out – handy for a meal after playing here.
Hope you found this useful – do let me know if you visit.
Sabrina x
