The Windsor Castle of the UK !!!

Posted in Europe, France

This time took my road warrior skills to go again to jolly England with the Le Shuttle train service (see post), and my Ford ; towing along my good boys and wonderful Rex! It was a very nice trip going into the countryside and seeing several towns of wonderul architecture and history, This one is a must and one of our highlights of the trip, we will be back, eventually, Therefore, let me tell you about the Windsor Castle of the UK !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.

Windsor Castle is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world. It is open to visitors throughout the year. Founded by William the Conqueror in the 11C, it has since been the home of 40 monarchs. The castle is located in the county of Berkshire, about 25 miles (40 km) from London, and 26 miles from our base in Hemel Hempstead along the M25 motorway until exit 15 take the M4 motorway continue to London Rd then right onto Windsor Road, then king Edward VII Avenue or B420 road you entered Windsor go around the castle walls to entrance. The castle is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history.

The Windsor Castle grounds cover 13 acres (5.3 hectares) and combines the features of a fortification, a palace, and a small town It is in essence a Georgian and Victorian design based on a medieval structure, with Gothic features reinvented in a modern style. At the heart of Windsor Castle is the Middle Ward, a bailey formed around the ‘motte’ (artificial hill) in the centre of the ward. The motte is 50 feet (15 meters) high and made from chalk originally excavated from the surrounding ditch. The keep, called the Round Tower, on the top of the motte is based on an original 12C building, extended upwards by 30 feet (9.1 meters) in the early 19C The Upper Ward comprises a number of major buildings enclosed by the upper bailey wall, forming a central quadrangle. The State Apartments run along the north of the ward, with a range of buildings along the east wall, the private royal apartments and the King George IV Gate to the south, and the Edward III Tower in the southwest corner. The motte and the Round Tower form the west edge of the ward.

The State Apartments form the major part of the Upper Ward and lie along the north side of the quadrangle.The interior of the State Apartments was mostly designed by Wyatville in the early 19C. The Lower Ward lies below and to the west of the Round Tower, reached through the Norman Gate. Originally largely of medieval design, most of the Lower Ward was renovated or reconstructed during the mid-Victorian period to form a consistently Gothic composition. The Lower Ward holds St George’s Chapel and most of the buildings associated with the Order of the Garter.This huge building is the spiritual home of the Order of the Garter and dates from the late 15C and early 16C, designed in the Perpendicular Gothic style, The Lady Chapel, originally commissioned by Henry III in the 13C and converted into the Albert Memorial Chapel between 1863 and 1873 , The Horseshoe Cloister, originally built in 1480, near to the chapel to house its clergy. It houses the vicars-choral, or lay clerks of the chapel. The Curfew Tower, one of the oldest surviving parts of the Lower Ward and dating from the 13C. The interior of the tower contains a former dungeon, and the remnants of a sally port, a secret exit for the occupants in a time of siege.On the opposite side of the chapel is a range of buildings including the lodgings of the Military Knights, and the residence of the Governor of the Military Knights. These buildings originate from the 16C and are still used by the Knights, who represent the Order of the Garter each Sunday. On the south side of the Ward is King Henry VIII’s gateway, which bears the coat of arms of Catherine of Aragon and forms the secondary entrance to the castle.

A bit of history I like tell us that the original castle was built in the 11C, after the Norman invasion of England by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I (who reigned 1100–1135), it has been used by the monarch and is the longest-occupied palace in Europe. The castle’s lavish early 19C state apartments Inside the castle walls is the 15C St George’s Chapel, one of the supreme achievements of English Perpendicular Gothic design. The castle withstood a prolonged siege during the First Barons’ War at the start of the 13C. Windsor Castle survived the tumultuous period of the English Civil War, when it was used as a military headquarters by Parliamentary forces and a prison for Charles I. At the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, Charles II had much of Windsor Castle rebuilt creating a set of extravagant Baroque interiors. After a period of neglect during the 18C, George III and George IV had Charles II’s palace renovated and rebuilt at colossal expense, producing the current design of the state apartments, full of Rococo, Gothic and Baroque furnishings. Queen Victoria made a few minor changes to the castle, which became the centre for royal entertainment for much of her reign. During the First World War, the historic estate inspired the naming of the royal House of Windsor, away from its original German origins. In the reign of George VI, it was used as a refuge by the royal family during the Luftwaffe bombing campaigns of the Second World War.

Windsor Castle, part of the Occupied Royal Palaces Estate, is owned by Charles III in right of The Crown, and day-to-day management is by the Royal Household. In terms of population, Windsor Castle is the largest inhabited castle in the world and the longest-occupied palace in Europe, but it also remains a functioning royal home. On 28 January 2026, Windsor Castle hosted the premiere of Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision, the first time a film premiere had been held at a royal residence.

The Royal Collection Fund on Windsor Castle : https://www.rct.uk/visit/windsor-castle

The official Royal residences site on Windsor Castle : https://www.royal.uk/royal-residences-windsor-castle

The official St George’s Chapel inside the castle : https://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/

The City of Windsor on its heritage : https://www.windsor.gov.uk/things-to-do

There you go folks , do dare drive in jolly England, it’s an adventure of a lifetime, and you will be back !!! as we have lol! Until another round chasing Sherlock we will be saying elementary my dear Watson to you all. Again, hope you enjoy this post on the Windsor Castle of the UK !!! as I

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

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Published by pedmar10

I am a lover of travels to Europe , Americas , Africa and Asia as well ,who like to share my experiences of the last 53 years with the world, visiting so far 81 countries; living in 6, working in 5, and Citizen of 4, speaking fluently 4 languages. I can deal with sports especially football/soccer and love music, arts, wine collector/drinker, and go out to restaurants, and just visit the world. My background comes all the way from Candelaria and Pajara in Tenerife, Spain where my grandparents came from ;not knowing each other then, to Punta Brava, west of Havana, Cuba. There , my parents born in Cuba met and later on I was born there too. 100% guanche (annexed Tenerife to Spain on April 10 ,1496). I left Cuba as many have to Madrid, Spain where I lived for 4 years. Then, move to Perth Amboy ,New Jersey USA (living there 13 yrs) ; where I completed high school, became a US Citizen, learned to drive a car, and learned English. Afterward, went to the university in Florida, ERAU, and upon graduation decided to moved there to Ormond by the Sea, near Daytona Beach, finally moving North Miami, then Hialeah, then another moved to Silver Lakes division in Miramar, Broward county, Florida; in Florida I lived a total of 18 years. Finally , moved to France in 2003 ,Versailles call me for its royalty, and working in Paris was great. It was time to seek frontiers again and moved to Brech near Auray, Morbihan in Brittany , and later move to not too far Pluvigner. Total so far in France has been 20 years, and counting. Moving average a home every 5.5 years hopefully this will be my last. Cheers All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means or stored in a retrieval system of any nature, without the written permission of the copyright holder, me. No part of this work may be modified, without the written permission of the holder, me.No part of this work may be exposed to public view in any form or by any means, without identifying the holder as the author, and with the before mentioned permission.

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