Windsor Castle, an official residence of the British monarchy, has been a royal residence since the 11th century making it the longest-occupied palace in the whole of Europe, and one of the largest too. Built as a military fortification, the castle has been the site of numerous battles. But the modern day life of a royal residence is more sedate and serious. If dining halls, armoury displays and heraldry aren’t enough to attract you to Windsor, don’t worry - we know what will. You can become extreme sports royalty just outside town at Bray Lake, which hosts one of the biggest, fastest and craziest adventures of all: bungee jumping.

Bungees, high strength elastic ropes, were never meant for jumping. They were used for securing luggage in vehicles until some daredevils, inspired by traditional vine jumpers in Vanuatu, decided to tie one end to a bridge, the other to their waist, and jump off. In the forty years since the first jumps, bungee jumping has earned its place at the top of the pile of extreme sports. Jumping from a platform into the air makes our survival instincts kink into action, and it’s the ability to silence the internal voice that tells you not to jump which makes a successful jumper. If you can override your instincts, the reward is an enormous adrenaline rush which will stay with you long after the bungee cord breaks your fall.

Where to do bungee jumping in Windsor?

For all thrill seekers, avoid the queues at the castle and complete the ultimate challenge of bungee jumping at Bray Lake.

Bray lake is a recreational lake used by sailing, windsurfing and open water swimming enthusiasts. It’s also a good spot for fishing, with grassy banks and trees along the shore. But these activities will look way too boring when you look up to see a huge crane rising above the calm waters. The crane lifts a platform, and if you’re brave enough to step onto this platform at ground level, the only way down is to jump.

Kinds of jumps available

- 160ft jump: for an adrenaline fuelled adventure, dare yourself to complete a jump from 160ft, or 50 metres, above the lake. The crane will elevate you high into the air in the company of the jumpmaster, but you’ll have to complete the next part alone - throw caution to the wind, and yourself into thin air! The drop towards the lake will last just a couple of seconds - which might seem like an eternity - and you’ll accelerate as the cord extends, until it’s stretched to its limits and bounces you back upwards. After a couple of bounces over the water, the crane will lower you down to dry land, where you’ll receive a hero's welcome from the spectators.

- 160ft tandem jump: if you’re not brave enough to do it alone, you have the opportunity to take someone with you for support. Or maybe you think that the individual jump sounds too fun to do alone, in which case you’ll want to share the thrills with a friend by booking a tandem jump. You and your partner will be connected to the same cord, and to each other before the crane takes you and the jumpmaster to 50 metres above the water. After an equipment check, the gate will open and you’ll be invited to jump. You might be less nervous doin it with a partner, but the extra weight will mean that you can expect a faster fall, a bigger bounce, and louder screams! By the time you get back on the ground, you’ll also have a stronger bond with your partner than ever before.

- 300ft jump: just when you’re getting used to the idea of jumping into 160ft of nothingness, we’re going to tell you about something even more extreme. To be specific, it’s almost twice as extreme: a jump from 300ft, in other words 90 metres, in other words the height of a 30-storey skyscraper. It takes a couple of minutes for the crane to lift you to this height, so you’ll have time to think about the choices you’ve made to lead you to this point before facing this challenge. In contrast, the jump itself is all over in a matter of moments, including 4 full seconds of freefall before the bungee starts to slow you down, then some oversized bounces and swings and then it’s all over - unless you’ll consider doing it again?

- FAB jump: it’s certainly fabulous, but that’s not the reason for the name. This experience is a two jump challenge: Front And Back. The front or forward jump is the standard, but the FAB package allows you to take it to the next level with a unique gravity defying stunt. We can only recommend this to thrill seekers with nerves of steel, as you’ll stand on the platform with your heels on the edge of the void before leaning back into the unknown. Not even a front jump can prepare you for this so it’s the kind of challenge reserved for the brave.

Requirements to do this activity

In this activity you’ll be facing off against gravity with only a cord to save you, so an important factor to take into consideration is weight. They have limits on what they can support and for safety reasons, you can’t jump if you weigh over 18.9 stone, or 120 kilos. The other key piece of kit that stands between you and the waters of Bray Lake is the harness, which can fit waists from 15.7 inches (40cm) to 49.2 inches (125cm).

To complete it, you need to go against your gut, and so it’s essential that you understand what’s involved before taking the leap of faith. This sport operates on a principle of Informed participation, which means to consent to taking part, you need to have and understand all the information about the activity. For this reason, all around the UK you need to be at least 14 years old to jump, and if you’re between 14 and 16, you’ll need your parents’ permission.

Is it a safe experience?

The team have your safety as their top priority and there’s a foolproof process in place to make your bungee jump safe. In the first place, they will make sure that the only people who jump are those who can jump safely. Sickness, pregnancy, and other conditions that could be affected by jumping, are reasons to refuse, or at least postpone this experience. If you clear this hurdle, the next step is equipment. You’ll use high quality, regularly maintained kit: cord, harness and ankle straps. And finally, the jumpmaster will explain to you the system of redundancy, basically the system which means that the failure of one piece of equipment does not make the entire system unsafe or ineffectual. The risk of injury is very low by the time you’ve completed every stage in the process, so we hope that this jump won’t be your last!

What should you bring the day of the activity?

Bring your best! You need to be ready to take on this challenge, and your state of mind is the most important factor. You don’t have to wear anything special, but we urge you to find out what the weather’s going to be like on the day of the experience and go prepared. Comfortable clothes, long sleeves and trousers or something that covers your legs (not a dress or skirt) are the basics, and if it’s chilly then you’ll be grateful for a pair of gloves. Trainers are better than high boots for this activity because you’ll have straps around the ankles.

Bring cash or card as well so that you can buy a photo of your daredevil stunt to prove to any doubters that you’ve done it- or bring the doubters with you! There’s space at the water’s edge for friends and family to watch you jump.

Make it happen here, and keep the memory with you forever. If you book now, we’ll take care of the rest.