Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is one of the most iconic and enduring royal residences in the world, standing as both a working palace and the oldest continuously inhabited castle on Earth. Perched atop a chalk outcrop above the River Thames in the Berkshire town of Windsor, it has served as the home of British monarchs for nearly a thousand years. Today it functions as an official residence of the reigning monarch, a venue for state occasions and royal ceremonies, and a major tourist attraction drawing over a million visitors each year. Few places in Britain combine such extraordinary historical depth with such a vivid, living connection to the present day — on many weekends, the Royal Standard flying above the Round Tower signals that the sovereign is in residence.
The castle's origins lie with William the Conqueror, who selected the site around 1070 as one of a chain of fortifications encircling London. Its strategic position, commanding the Thames valley from a natural elevation, made it ideal for defence. Initially built from timber, it was gradually rebuilt in stone during the twelfth century under Henry II, who constructed the iconic Round Tower on the motte. Successive monarchs left their mark dramatically: Henry III added palatial apartments, Edward III essentially rebuilt it as a grand chivalric seat and established the Order of the Garter here in 1348, and Charles II oversaw a baroque transformation that gave the State Apartments their splendid character. George IV spent lavishly on romantic Gothic embellishments in the early nineteenth century, shaping much of the castle's current silhouette. Queen Victoria made Windsor her preferred residence after the death of Prince Albert in 1861, and it was she who established the royal burial tradition at the associated Frogmore mausoleum nearby. More recently, a catastrophic fire in November 1992 devastated over a hundred rooms in the northeastern section, prompting a meticulous five-year restoration programme that returned the damaged areas to their former glory.
In person, Windsor Castle is genuinely breathtaking. The approach along Castle Hill or through the town reveals the castle's enormous scale — its walls stretch for almost half a mile in circumference, and the Round Tower rises dramatically from the central motte, visible for miles across the surrounding countryside. The stonework shifts subtly in colour with the light, from pale grey on overcast mornings to a warm honey-cream in afternoon sun. Once inside, the State Apartments dazzle with an accumulation of treasures almost overwhelming in its density: suits of armour, Flemish tapestries, paintings by Rubens, Rembrandt, Van Dyck and Canaletto, and furniture of staggering opulence. St George's Chapel, in the Lower Ward, is a masterpiece of Perpendicular Gothic architecture, its fan-vaulted ceiling a breathtaking achievement. The chapel serves as the spiritual home of the Order of the Garter and is the burial place of ten monarchs, including Henry VIII, Charles I, and more recently Queen Elizabeth II, who was interred in the King George VI Memorial Chapel within St George's in 2022.
The atmosphere on the castle grounds varies considerably depending on the time of visit. On quiet weekday mornings, the Lower Ward carries a contemplative, almost meditative quality, with birdsong echoing off ancient stonework. On ceremonial days — particularly during the Order of the Garter procession in June or the regular Changing of the Guard — the castle hums with pageantry, brass band music, and the murmur of excited crowds. The Long Walk, a three-mile ceremonial avenue lined with elms and chestnuts, extends southward from the castle gates through Windsor Great Park, and walking it on a clear day offers one of the finest royal vistas in England, with the castle commanding the far end of the view.
Windsor Great Park stretches for nearly five thousand acres to the south and east of the castle, encompassing woodland, parkland, ornamental gardens, the Virginia Water lake, and the Savill Garden, all of which are worth exploring as part of a wider visit. The town of Windsor itself clusters close below the castle walls and offers a range of restaurants, tea rooms, and shops along its pedestrianised streets. Across the Thames, the town of Eton and its famous college are just a short walk over Windsor Bridge. Legoland Windsor Resort lies a few miles to the west, making the area popular with families. The wider Thames Valley countryside, with its meadows, river walks, and picturesque villages, rewards visitors who have time to linger beyond the castle itself.
Getting to Windsor is straightforward. Trains run from London Waterloo to Windsor and Eton Riverside station, and from London Paddington with a change at Slough to Windsor and Eton Central station, which is almost directly beneath the castle. Journey times from London are roughly thirty to fifty minutes. By road, Windsor is easily accessible from the M4 motorway, though parking in the town centre is limited and can be expensive, so public transport is generally preferable. The castle is open to visitors most days throughout the year, though it sometimes closes for state visits and private functions, so checking the Royal Collection Trust website before visiting is advisable. Entry to the Precincts and St George's Chapel is free on Sundays for those attending services. The State Apartments and the separate Queen Mary's Dolls' House — a magnificent 1920s miniature mansion complete with working electricity and running water — require a paid ticket. Accessibility is generally good, with step-free routes available through most of the public areas, though the hilly terrain and cobbled surfaces in some sections can present challenges.
Among the lesser-known stories attached to Windsor is the tale of Herne the Hunter, a spectral figure from English folklore said to haunt Windsor Great Park, wearing antlers and accompanied by a pack of ghostly hounds. The legend, which Shakespeare referenced in The Merry Wives of Windsor, has attached itself to the park for centuries and speaks to the deep mythic resonance of this landscape. Another remarkable detail is Queen Mary's Dolls' House, designed by the architect Edwin Lutyens in the 1920s: it contains functioning electric lights, a lift, a wine cellar with real vintage wines, and miniature books written by leading authors of the day, including Arthur Conan Doyle and Rudyard Kipling. The castle also holds an extraordinary collection of drawings by Leonardo da Vinci in the Royal Library, not always on public display but periodically exhibited. Windsor has been the scene of royal weddings, funerals, investitures, and the signing of historic documents, and it remains not merely a monument to the past but a place where the living institution of the monarchy continues to unfold.