Windsor
Royalty, History and a Rather Magnificent Castle
There are historic towns, there are pretty towns, and then there is Windsor — a town which has spent the best part of a thousand years with a rather important building sitting on top of the hill and reminding everybody who's in charge.
That building, of course, is Windsor Castle.
But while the castle is undoubtedly the star attraction, Windsor is considerably more than a royal residence. It has an attractive old town, the River Thames, Windsor Great Park, Eton just across the river and enough royal connections to keep the souvenir industry flourishing nicely.
Windsor Castle
Let's deal with the obvious one first.Windsor Castle is enormous, magnificent and, importantly, a genuine working royal residence rather than simply a historic building dressed up for tourists.
The castle was founded by William the Conqueror in the 11th century as part of the defensive ring of castles surrounding London. Since then it has been expanded, rebuilt and modified by successive monarchs and has become one of the most famous castles in the world.
It is also the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world.
The State Apartments are suitably grand, containing magnificent works of art and furnishings from the Royal Collection, while St George's Chapel is one of the great treasures of the castle.
The chapel is particularly impressive, with its spectacular fan-vaulted ceiling and elaborate Gothic architecture. It is also the final resting place of numerous monarchs, including Henry VIII, Charles I, George III, George IV, Queen Victoria and Elizabeth II.
It is difficult to walk around without being reminded that an extraordinary amount of British history happened within these walls.
The Long Walk
One of Windsor's most famous approaches is The Long Walk, stretching for several miles from the castle southwards into Windsor Great Park.
It is exactly what its name suggests.
A very long walk.
But it is a spectacular one.
The avenue of trees creates one of the great views towards Windsor Castle, and on a decent day the combination of the castle, parkland and enormous sky makes it easy to understand why successive monarchs rather liked having this place as their backyard.
It is also one of those places where you can escape the crowds surprisingly quickly.
Walk far enough from the town and suddenly the souvenir shops, coaches and crowds seem a very long way away.
Windsor Great Park
Beyond The Long Walk lies Windsor Great Park, a vast area of parkland which has been associated with the Crown for centuries.
It contains woodland, open countryside, lakes, gardens and avenues of ancient trees.
The Savill Garden is one of its highlights, offering beautifully landscaped gardens within the wider park.
There is also Virginia Water, a large ornamental lake surrounded by attractive woodland and parkland, with paths making it an excellent place for a stroll.
So if you've had enough of looking at castles, you can spend several hours doing something considerably more relaxing.
The Town
Windsor itself is a pleasant town, although it is fair to say that tourism dominates the centre.The streets around the castle contain plenty of shops, cafés, restaurants and pubs, alongside some attractive historic buildings.
Windsor Royal Station is particularly interesting. The former railway station has been transformed into a shopping and dining area, but the Victorian architecture has been retained.
The town also has the inevitable collection of royal souvenirs.
If you want a mug with the King's face on it, a tea towel bearing the Royal Arms or something involving the Union Jack that you never knew existed, Windsor will probably oblige.
Eton
Cross the river over Windsor Bridge and you reach Eton, another place where history is virtually dripping from the buildings.The town is famous above all for Eton College, founded by Henry VI in 1440.
The college itself is one of Britain's most famous schools and has educated an extraordinary number of politicians, writers, actors and other notable figures.
The buildings and streets around Eton are attractive in their own right, and a walk through the town makes a pleasant contrast to the rather more tourist-heavy centre of Windsor.
The River Thames
The Thames provides another side to Windsor.The riverside is a pleasant place to walk, with boats passing by and views towards the castle.
There are river cruises during the tourist season, and the area around the waterfront has plenty of places to sit and watch the world go by.
The river also gives Windsor a much more relaxed atmosphere once you've escaped the busiest streets.
A Royal Town That Has Survived the Crowds
Windsor does have one obvious disadvantage.
It gets busy.
Very busy.
On summer weekends, bank holidays and during major royal events, the town can resemble a particularly well-organised invasion.
Coaches arrive, tourists arrive, school parties arrive and everybody seems to want exactly the same photograph of the castle.
Parking can also be expensive and inconvenient.
My advice is simple: arrive early, preferably by train, explore the castle before the crowds build up and then spend some time walking away from the centre.
Because Windsor is at its best when you stop treating it as simply a castle with a town attached.
The Verdict
Windsor is undeniably one of Britain's great visitor destinations.
The castle is magnificent, St George's Chapel is superb, the Long Walk is spectacular, Windsor Great Park provides acres of countryside and Eton adds another layer of history just across the river.
Yes, it is touristy.
Yes, it can be expensive.
Yes, you will encounter more souvenir shops than anybody really needs.
But the reason people keep coming is simple:
Windsor is genuinely impressive.
You can stand beneath the walls of a castle founded by William the Conqueror, wander through a royal chapel, stroll along the Thames and then escape into hundreds of acres of beautiful parkland.
That's quite a package.
And while Windsor Castle may be the reason most people arrive, it is the combination of castle, town, river, park and history that makes Windsor worth spending a proper day exploring.
Just don't expect to have the place to yourself.
After nearly a thousand years of royalty, Windsor has had rather a lot of practice attracting visitors.
Return to South East home page