The short answer
Cliveden's own directions sheet says helicopter landings are subject to availability and must be pre-booked with the hotel after the National Trust has given authorisation. We make that request, plan the aircraft, and fall back to White Waltham, Denham or Heathrow-area sites and a car if a landing is not available.
Quote this event Tell us the date and the number of guests; we reply with options and a price for the whole aircraft.
Key facts
- Venue
- Cliveden House, Cliveden Road, Taplow, near Maidenhead SL6 0JF
- Landing at the venue
- Pre-booked with the hotel, after National Trust authorisation, subject to availability
- Fallback sites
- White Waltham Airfield (near Maidenhead), Denham Aerodrome, Heathrow area by arrangement
- White Waltham hours
- As published: from 08:00 daily, closing 17:30 weekdays in winter, up to 20:00 in summer; grass, weather dependent
- London to White Waltham
- About 15 to 20 minutes by helicopter, around 53 minutes by road
- Manchester to White Waltham
- About 55 to 70 minutes by helicopter, around 3 hours 37 minutes by road
- Previous departures
- Battersea, Manchester and Blackbushe
- Good for
- Client entertainment, directors' days, small meetings
Can a helicopter land at Cliveden?
Yes, but it is a controlled process. The hotel's directions sheet for guests says helicopter access can be arranged, subject to availability, and that a landing must be pre-booked with the hotel after the National Trust has given authorisation. The sheet gives landing-site coordinates for pilots, which we use. That is a two-step permission, so we ask early and treat the answer as final. Every landing is subject to landing permission and site suitability.
Charter-A Helicopter is the helicopter charter service of Charter-A Ltd, which has arranged private flights across the UK and Europe since 2011. For helicopter hire Cliveden clients, we have flown parties there from Battersea, Manchester and Blackbushe. The hotel publishes its own location guide. Our overview of UK landing sites explains how permission works on private land.
Which airfields serve Cliveden if the lawn is not available?
White Waltham Airfield, near Maidenhead, is a grass airfield that opens at 08:00 every day, needs prior permission and accepts turbine helicopters; it is weather and surface dependent. London Denham Aerodrome is 11.1 nautical miles from White Waltham and open 08:00 to 20:00 in summer; see Denham. Heathrow is possible only where a slot and permission exist; the hotel puts Heathrow at roughly a 20-minute drive. See Heathrow.
From a fallback site a chauffeur car completes the trip. We use Executive Global Travel. Blackbushe, where we have flown from before, is not in our site library, so we verify its details from the airport's own site before we plan a departure from there; see Blackbushe.
How long does the flight take?
London to White Waltham takes about 15 to 20 minutes by helicopter and around 53 minutes by road; see Battersea for the central London departure. Manchester to White Waltham takes about 55 to 70 minutes by helicopter and around 3 hours 37 minutes by road. Birmingham to White Waltham takes about 35 to 45 minutes against around 1 hour 52 minutes. A landing at the hotel itself, where permitted, removes most of the road leg.
A typical day: depart late morning, arrive for lunch, meeting or client session, and fly back in the afternoon. Arrive 10 minutes before take-off, give us a weight for each passenger and use soft bags. Check landing hours before you set the end time of the day.
What corporate day suits Cliveden?
A client lunch, a small leadership retreat or a directors' day. The hotel handles meetings and dining; we handle the flight and ground plan. For dinner-led trips see dining by helicopter. For the neighbouring venue, see The Fat Duck at Bray. Wider reading: London and the Home Counties and corporate days out.
For price guidance, see the price guides. We quote through the form.
Frequently asked questions
Does Cliveden allow helicopter landings?
By pre-booking with the hotel after National Trust authorisation, subject to availability. We make the request for you.
Where do we land if Cliveden cannot take us?
White Waltham or Denham, then a car to the hotel.
How long is the flight from London?
About 15 to 20 minutes to White Waltham from central London, against around 53 minutes by road.
Can we leave late in the evening?
Depends on the site. White Waltham closes at sunset or earlier, so we plan the return flight around it.
What if weather stops the flight?
If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing.
