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Located off Junction 6 of the M4 or Junction 3 of the M3 Originally built by William the Conqueror after he invaded Britain in 1066 and occupies 13 acres of land. The location was ideal since it was on the top of a steep hill overlooking the River Thames below. The purpose of the castle was to protect London from attack from the West. The round Tower was built by King Henry II and he also rebuilt much of the structure in stone rather than the original wood that was used, including the outer wall. Windsor castle is where the Queen resides the majority of the time (especially weekends) even though her official residence is Buckingham palace. The largest Castle in the world which is still used as a residence. No other Castle can match the unbroken period of residence, Windsor castle boats a 900 year history of past residents. When the Queen is actually in residence the Round Tower will be seen to be flying the royal standard, while the union jack fly’s when she is away. The original structure was built from timber with earth fortifications. The Castle held an obvious strategic position on a steep hill overlooking the River Thames, and was part of a ring of castles around London, with the Tower of London, one day's march away, at its heart. The Castle was later rebuilt in stone, and grew in importance over the years. Henry II constructed the Round Tower and the original stone outer wall. Following the English Civil War, the Castle's primary role became that of a royal palace. The Castle has remained largely unchanged since the early nineteenth century, apart from the restoration work following the fire (see below). From April to June, the Changing of the Guard takes place at 11am each day except Sundays. From July to March, the ceremony takes place on alternate days. The best views are obtained either from the Lower Ward of the Castle or outside the Castle on Windsor High Street. The castle itself contains many other attractions including the Drawings Gallery, Queen Mary's dolls' house (a superb miniature house made to a 1/12th scale), and the fourteenth-century St. George's Chapel where ten former monarchs are buried and wedding ceremonies have been performed. There also ever changing exhibitions taking place. St George's Chapel is one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in England. It is the spiritual home of the Order of the Garter, the senior order of British Chivalry established in 1348 by Edward III. On 20 November 1992 a large fire destroyed 1/5th of the Castle, over 100 rooms and an area of 9,000 square meters were. It took 5 years to rebuilt and restore the interior and resulted in the opening of parts of Buckingham Palace to public view in order to raise funds for the restoration work. Open daily March to October 09:45-17:15 (last admission 16:00) November to February 09:45-16:15 (last admission 15:00) Some days the castle shuts
for special occasions and events. |
Windsor And Eton Riverside Railway Station 0.2 miles (0.3 km) Copyright © 2002-2008 Milesfaster.co.uk All Rights Reserved