Virginia Water, Residential village in Runnymede, England
Virginia Water is a village in Surrey that spreads across extensive woodland and sits next to Virginia Water Lake in Windsor Great Park. The area features large residential estates set back among trees, with winding roads that follow the natural landscape.
The village grew up in the 1700s around the man-made Virginia Water Lake, which was originally created as a royal hunting ground. During World War II, the government built underground tunnels beneath the Wentworth Estate to serve as an emergency refuge for government operations.
The village contains the prestigious Wentworth Club, which serves as the headquarters for the PGA European Tour and maintains four professional golf courses.
The area is easily reached by train, with services running directly to London and other towns across the region. The woodland and lakeside walks are easy to access without needing special equipment or permits for casual exploration.
The former Holloway Sanatorium, which operated from 1885 to 1980, is now Virginia Park, an exclusive gated residential community. This transformation of a Victorian hospital building into private homes shows how the site's purpose has changed over time.
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