Xmas Market the Henry VI way (15 miles)

Barren winter, with his wrathful nipping cold:
So cares and joys abound, as seasons fleet.
Henry VI Part 2

Baby King at 8 months, crowned King in both England & France, and England's King twice, restored by the Kingmaker - Henry VI was born this day of St Nicholas in 1421. Henry's ineptitude triggered the Wars of the Roses, which ended by consuming him in the Tower of London.

Interred originally at Chertsey Abbey, Henry's remains were moved to Windsor Castle after attracting pilgrims. This walk will retrace Henry's final journey, which for us leads to a Christmas market.

We cross the Thames by the 18th-C Chertsey Bridge. Chertsey is one of the country's oldest market towns, built around the abbey that had been founded in AD 666 by Earconwald. Then it's on to Windsor ending through the Great Park to arrive at the market which is open until 5pm
Windsor Christmas Market | Windsor Rocks

There are other Christmas events in Windsor such as castle illuminations:
Christmas in Windsor & the Royal Borough | Festive Events & Activities

TRAVEL: Take the 9AM train from London Waterloo to STAINES. Walk starts 9.50 am from Staines station. Walk ends at WINDSOR & ETON RIVERSIDE station. Village stop. Bring a packed lunch.

The organiser will be standing from 8.45 am in front of the ticket office at Waterloo to act as a focal point for people to arrange Groupsave tickets.

From Waterloo Southwest Trains offer with Railcard discount an off peak single to STAINES £4.90 & and off peak single from WINDSOR £5.90 - Total £10.80.
Or for simplicity buy an off peak day return to WINDSOR & ETON RIVERSIDE £11.50 with Groupsave or a Network card.

How to join?

• The walk is entirely free of charge;
• You only arrange for your own travel and pub expenses;
• Understand our terms and conditions below (the "IMPORTANT" part);
• Understand how to stay safe outdoors, as you will be responsible for yourself. See our quick safety tips:
  https://www.meetup.com/Free-Outdoor-Trips-From-London/about/

Feel free to ask any questions in the comments section!

IMPORTANT
Please bear in mind this is a free of charge, self-guided trip with a hobby group. It is not organized by a business nor any entity with commercial purposes.
Any trip details, travel advice, route planning, instructions and other content in our group merely represent our shared personal knowledge, research and suggestions as outdoor enthusiasts. As this is no business, there is no "product", "service" or "package" and also no "tour guide", "operator" or "walk leader".
Each participant is responsible for their own safety. Even if some of us are very experienced walking outdoors, nobody assumes responsibility for any kind of injury, damage or loss that may happen.
Despite this, we take extreme precautions and all trips we plan are very safe, fun, highly educational and popular. Our experienced members volunteer their time and effort to shape a pleasant and quality adventure for everyone :-)
By participating you acknowledge and agree with this disclaimer.

Here are our tips on staying safe during outdoor trips:
https://www.meetup.com/Free-Outdoor-Trips-From-London/about/

TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATION, INSURANCE
Although we provide detailed suggestions, each participant is expected to arrange their own travel and (if required) accommodation - this gives everyone the freedom and choice to join from wherever they want and stay wherever they want. Anyone interested in travel or outdoor insurance should also arrange this on their own. As mentioned above we always take extreme precautions, but some people may still feel safer if covered.
We advise not to buy tickets until the day. People getting tickets from the same station are encouraged to meet early on the day to benefit from discounts such as GroupSave.