The changing seasons at Coworth Park

It all begins with spring flowers, starting with bright daffodils across the lawns. Magnolias follow with their lush pink and white blooms, and from mid-April into May, bluebells carpet the woodland floor in violet. The days grow longer and the air stays mild, so it's a wonderful time to get moving, whether that's a morning run around the estate or a first ride out from the equestrian centre.

Spring is also when polo season begins, running until mid-September. Coworth Park has its own polo fields – so you can book a private lesson right here on the estate, or watch a match at nearby Guards Polo Club.

Make a spring trip of it with a visit to The Savill Garden (10 minutes' drive away) when the cherry blossom is in full bloom. Or spend a day following the blossom through London: magnolia against the candy-coloured houses of Notting Hill, wisteria winding over the pergola on Hampstead Heath or climbing the white walls of a Kensington townhouse, and the cherry avenue in Greenwich Park.

Finish with a stop at our sister hotel, The Dorchester, which always has a Chelsea Flower Show-themed afternoon tea at this time of year.

From early June, the wildflower meadow comes into bloom – a painterly wash of colour that ripples with every breeze. The roses are at their best now, and the Rose Lawn Bar becomes the heart of summer afternoons, with something new to enjoy each year. Meals move outdoors too, including onto the terrace overlooking the meadow.

Evenings stretch on, with skies glowing pink and gold until late (at midsummer, the light lingers until after 10pm). Sit outside as the light fades and you'll hear the birds settling to roost, joined by summer visitors such as swifts wheeling high above the house.

For sunny breaks in the English countryside, this is the season to be outside. Pack a picnic, take a bicycle out across the estate, or settle in for a game of tennis or croquet on the lawn. Further afield, a boat trip along the Thames from Windsor is a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

In June, Royal Ascot comes to town: just a short drive from Coworth Park, the racecourse fills with morning suits, extraordinary millinery, and five days of the best of British flat racing.

When the trees turn, the estate changes almost overnight. Leaves blaze copper, gold, and crimson under the low autumn sun, and by October the colours are at their richest.

As dusk comes earlier, you’re more likely to see wildlife such as foxes, hedgehogs, and fallow deer in the gloaming – or for an even better chance, get up before sunrise and see the estate at its stillest. The last of the summer swallows begin to leave, and skeins of geese arrive overhead for the winter.

Autumn holidays are made for walking. Virginia Water Lake is a two-minute walk from the hotel, and at the peak of the season’s display, its surface is aflame with shades of red and amber. In Windsor Great Park, you can watch the red deer and take in the long view to Windsor Castle. Come back for tea by the fire, then dinner at Woven by Adam Smith, where you’ll find some of the best fine dining in Berkshire.

Wisps of early morning mist curling over the fields. Frost crunching underfoot. Crisp, bright winter sun, or soft blankets of cloud. Mistletoe clinging to bare-branched trees. Winter is when you’ll find the estate at its most atmospheric.

While many of the plants lie dormant, there’s still lots of life. Deer pick their way across the fields, and you might spot pheasants, woodcock, and ducks. Starlings arrive from colder parts of Europe and Scandinavia, and just before dusk you might catch a murmuration – thousands of birds moving as one across the sky.

Towards the end of winter, you’ll see snowdrops peek out from the ground – the first blooms of the year, before it all begins again.

This is a season for cosiness. Evening meals in The Barn, and afternoons by the fire in the Drawing Room. The spa is beautiful all year round, but in winter it’s a place of deep comfort: warm up in the sauna, slip into the still waters of the pool, then lie back and watch the clouds drift past the glass walls.

By late November, the festive season is well underway. If you visit Windsor now, there’ll be twinkling lights and decorations to enjoy, as well as a light and sound trail through Windsor Great Park. It’s a perfect time to explore the historic pubs in Windsor and Eton, on either side of the Thames – or to take your seat for The Theatre Royal Windsor’s annual pantomime.