Windsor Castle Park

IF YOU GO

Windsor Castle Park 705 Cedar Street Smithfield, VA 23430 Phone: 757-542-3109 wcinfo@windsorcastlepark.com windsorcastlepark.com

Windsor Castle offers fresh air, fun

By Nate Delesline III Staff Writer

Visitors from near and far flock to Windsor Castle Park, making it a top spot for fresh air and fun activities.

When the pandemic surged last spring, outdoor recreation experiences got a big boost.

“We don’t have any counting devices or anything out at the park, but we definitely saw increased traffic into the park, and all the parking areas were full all the time,” said Amy Novak, who leads Smithfield’s parks and recreation department. “And also our kayak rentals had the best sales it ever had in its nine seasons. People were looking for anything to do outdoors.” Windsor Castle Park opened in 2010. It’s the vision of Joseph W. Luter III, the former chief executive officer of Smithfield Foods. In his business travels, Luter came to appreciate New York City’s Central Park and wanted to create a park in his hometown, according to the attraction’s website. Luter donated $7.2 million toward the development of the 208acre park.

In response to the pandemic, “we put signage up to make sure people knew to do social distancing,” Novak said. “The signs said something along the lines ‘Help us keep the park open,’ because a lot of parks in our area had to close.” Officials also ask people to self-monitor how many people are on the fishing pier.

Windsor Castle Park was part of a 1,450-acre parcel of land that has nearly 400 years of history. A manor house, dating to around 1725, is the centerpiece of the park’s historic attractions, which include about a dozen vintage outbuildings that were commonly part of estates of the era — a kitchen, stables and farm manager’s office.

The Isle of Wight County Museum is taking the lead in pursuing the historic interpretation of the house and associated outbuildings. The museum does public tours monthly for people to see the historical areas and to learn about the house and grounds “and those are well attended,” Novak said.

The park’s trails are a top attraction for walking and running followed closely by the children’s natural playscape, which includes a 30-foot slide and a rock climbing area, as well as a dog park.

“Our locals love it and they use it, but we have a lot of visitors that pass many other parks to come to Windsor Castle. They come from Virginia Beach and Chesapeake, so I think that speaks volumes of how wonderful our park is,” Novak said.