Bray is the riverside parish with a three-mile frontage on the Thames between Maidenhead and Windsor, known for its restaurants. The parish also takes in Holyport (which has its own guide), Fifield, Oakley Green and Water Oakley. Details below were checked on 31 October and 1 November 2026.
Getting there
- Bus: route 16 (Thames Valley Buses) runs between Maidenhead and Windsor via Bray; routes 37 and 37M (Carousel) pass Fifield and Bray between Oakley Green and Maidenhead.
- Train: Maidenhead is the nearest station (see trains).
- Parking and toilets: the council lists no car park or public toilet in Bray; the restaurants and Bray Lake have their own parking.
Eating out
Bray High Street has The Fat Duck and the Michelin-starred Hind’s Head, both Heston Blumenthal’s, The Crown at Bray (Michelin selected 2026) and, on Old Mill Lane, Caldesi in Campagna. Down by the river are the Monkey Island Estate Brasserie and Mediterranevm at Bray Marina, and in the hamlet of Fifield The Fifield Inn. All were trading when we checked on 31 October 2026, The Fifield Inn on the strength of recent diner reviews rather than its own website; details and links are on our restaurants and pubs and bars pages. For a Sunday or a special occasion, book well ahead.
Things to see and do
- St Michael’s Church, Church Lane, with the canopied tomb of William Goddard, who founded the village’s almshouses.
- Jesus Hospital, Upper Bray Road: the almshouses William Goddard founded in the seventeenth century, best seen from the road.
- Monkey Island: the island hotel estate reached by footbridge from Monkey Island Lane, bought by the third Duke of Marlborough in 1723, whose Fishing Temple and octagonal pavilion survive; see hotels.
- Bray Lake Watersports, Monkey Island Lane: dinghy sailing, windsurfing, paddleboarding, wing foiling and open-water swimming, open seven days all year with activities pre-booked. braylake.com.
- The Jubilee River: the Environment Agency’s 11.6 km flood channel from Taplow to Datchet, opened in 2002, with footpaths along most of its length for walking, running, cycling and riding; sections close when it is in operation and swimming is not allowed.
- Bray Lock on the Thames has boater facilities but base moorings only.
- Bray Studios at Water Oakley is a working film studio with no public access; Hammer moved into Down Place there in 1951 and made more than a hundred films in about twenty years, including The Curse of Frankenstein and Dracula.
Events
Bray Village Fete on the village green has bands, chef demonstrations from the local restaurants, a food court, dog show and children’s races; it has been held on a Saturday in early September, and the 2026 date was not confirmed when we checked. Watch Visit Windsor and our what’s on page.
A little history
The Vicar of Bray of the satirical song is traditionally Simon Aleyn, who kept his post from Henry VIII to Elizabeth I by changing his allegiance with each reign. The Royal Borough’s tourism site lists The Fat Duck and The Waterside Inn with three Michelin stars each and The Hind’s Head with one.
