Maidenhead

About

Maidenhead is situated on the banks of the River Thames in Berkshire, close to the M4 motorway. The town lies on the famous Great Western Railway, famously designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. 

The town centre is only a short walk from the train station with all shops, restaurants and leisure facilities within a 5-minute walk. There are good bus links; you can get most buses from Frascati Way in the town centre, or near Boots on the high street.

Things to do in Maidenhead

The town centre has a range of well-known high street shops as well as a growing number of independent stores offering something a little bit different. The Nicholsons Shopping Centre offers lots of choice under one roof and along with the rest of the town ensures Maidenhead offers you all you need in a convenient and compact location. Maidenhead boasts a 10-screen cinema and just out of town you’ll find the excellent leisure facilities at Braywick Leisure Centre.

Discover Maidenhead’s fascinating past at the Maidenhead Heritage Centre where there are regular exhibitions, talks on the town’s history and an opportunity to fly a spitfire simulator!  

For those wishing to explore the arts and culture you can discover Norden Farm Centre for the Arts’ packed programme of theatre, dance, comedy, visual arts, music and film; the Norden Farm Café Bar offers an excellent selection for a pre-show meal.

Enjoy a walk along Maidenhead’s riverside to Boulters Lock and Ray Mill Island or take to the water (in the warmer months) with the Little Green Boat Company.  

For a special occasion, why not charter The Georgian for lunch, afternoon tea or dinner and let the Windsor & Maidenhead Boat Company look after your every need while you enjoy floating along the River Thames?

Maidenhead is home to a creative community and plays host to many annual events throughout the year including:

• Lunar New Year (February): celebrating the Chinese New Year on Maidenhead High Street with a large lion dance parade, music and firecrackers. 
• Waterways Fun Day (April): activity on and off the water running through the town centre.
• Maidenhead Festival (July): this free public event takes place over a weekend and features live music and entertainment.
• The Town Show (October): led by Craft Coop, this is Maidenhead’s annual ‘country show’ in the town!
• Christmas Market and Light Switch On (November): Featuring a bustling Christmas market, live music and entertainment, fun fair and spectacular fireworks display. 
• Norden Farm: The Lantern Parade (December): A large-scale community arts project which illuminates and parades through Maidenhead Town Centre.  This unique event features live music and large, handmade, illuminated centrepieces.

Food & Drink

There are plenty of places to eat and drink in Maidenhead town centre whether you want to linger over a three-course meal or a grab a quick snack. Choose from a great range of pubs, cafes and bakeries, restaurants and sandwich bars.  

Maidenhead’s weekly produce market sets up Thursday to Saturday on the high street. Stalls include international cuisine lunch options (Mexican, Thai, Greek, Italian, Indian, etc) plus fruit and veg, butcher, coffee, baker and sweet treats.

You’ll find supermarkets and takeaway chains such as Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury, Subway and Greggs. Coffee shops include Costa, Flavios and Bakedd.  There are smaller chains and indies including Noodle Nation, Presto Pizza and Kokoro.  

Discover a growing number of independent or family-run places to eat and drink such as Sauce and Flour (pasta), El Cerdo (tapas), Knead (pizza), Seasonality (modern menu celebrating the best of season food) and A Hoppy Place (craft beer).  

Just down the road from Maidenhead is the village of Bray, one of Britain's culinary capitals. It boasts Alain Roux’s Waterside Inn and Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck (each the holder of 3 Michelin stars) and Giancarlo Caldesi’s Caldesi in Campagna.

Towns & Villages near Maidenhead

• Bray (1 mile)
• Cookham (3 miles)
• White Waltham (3 miles)
• Littlewick Green (3 miles)
• Shottesbrooke (4 miles)
• Hurley (4 miles)
• Bisham (4 miles)
• Marlow (4 miles)
• Windsor (5 miles)