Windsor, Berkshire Guide
Jake Davies
Windsor, on the River Thames about 20 miles west of central London is most famous for its magnificent castle and for being the origin of the "family" name of the royal family of the UK. On the flight-path for nearby Heathrow Airport, Windsor Castle is often the first landmark visible to arriving passengers.
History
A small, wooden motte and bailey castle was built here by William the Conqueror, though the original settlement known as Windsor was a few kilometers away.
This "Old Windsor" largely moved to the current site in the 12th century when the castle was rebuilt in stone. In the 14th century the further development of the castle by Edward III was one of the biggest building projects of the Middle Ages and led to the town becoming very wealthy.
Over the centuries successive monarchs modernized and redeveloped the castle using newer architectural methods and today it is not only the largest occupied castle in the world, but also the longest occupied palace in Europe. The castle is the biggest attraction in Windsor, but there are also lots of other things to see and do.
Attractions
Since 2016, one of the best ways to explore the town is along the Queen's Walkway, a self guided route of over 6 kilometers around the Windsor area that visits 63 different sites and views.
The route is marked by metal plaques in the ground and maps can be downloaded or picked up from the Royal Windsor Information Centre located in the Guildhall. The Guildhall in Windsor is where Prince Charles (now King Charles III) married Camilla Parker Bowles, and also where Sir Elton John and David Furnish had their civil ceremony.
One of the sites the walk passes through is the Windsor Great Park. With 5,000 acres, and free to enter, the area was once the hunting grounds for the castle and now include many features including forest, woodland, gardens, ponds and lakes, historic buildings, a deer park and the Long Walk, the straight path, over two and a half miles long, that connects Snow Hill with the castle.
A much smaller park, Alexandra Park, lies along the river with great views of the castle. There is a cafe and small amusement park for kids. Nearby are a multitude of ways to get out onto the water. You can rent canoes and kayaks, small motorboats, or take a cruise on a larger boat. You can also combine a tour of the river and the town on a "Duck" tour. Once a common sight on the River Thames in central London, these yellow amphibious vehicles now also operate in Windsor.
Just across the pedestrian bridge across the Thames is the small town of Eton, location of the most famous public school in the world, Eton College and where many prime ministers went to school. These include both Boris Johnson and David Cameron in the recent past along with Alec Douglas-Home, Harold Macmillan, Anthony Eden, Arthur Balfour, William Ewart Gladstone, Arthur Wellesley, George Canning, William Pitt the Elder and Robert Walpole in the more distant past.
As well as sites connected to the school,there are a range of shops as well as cafes, tea rooms, restaurants etc here.
In Windsor itself an enjoyable small shopping mall is called Windsor Royal Station and is in fact converted from the first train station built in Windsor in 1849, then simply called Windsor.
Later it was renamed Windsor & Eton, and then renamed again to Windsor & Eton Central. A small part of the structure still operates as the station, but most of it, including the former royal waiting room, is now commercial. On display is also a replica of a steam locomotive that pulled the royal trains in Victoria's day.
Of course if you have younger children, then the main attraction in Windsor is going to be Legoland Windsor Resort. Built on the site of the former Windsor Safari Park, this huge theme park is also a resort with several hotels and is one of the most visited theme parks in the UK and Europe. Targeting the 3 to 12 age group, it is open usually from March to November.
Accommodation
Windsor has a range of accommodation options ranging from 4-star hotels to guesthouses and B&Bs.
Some recommendations include the 4-star Macdonald Windsor opposite Windsor Castle with a restaurant, the Castle Hotel Windsor, also 4-star and the 3-star Christopher Hotel in nearby Eton.
Some charming guesthouses include the traditional adults-only Charles House, the Bluebell House set in a former coaching inn and the New Oscar, less than 10 minutes' drive from Legoland.
See a listing of all accommodation options in Windsor.
Access - Getting to Windsor
The closest station to Windsor Castle is Windsor & Eton Central, 30 minutes from Paddington Station with a change at Slough. Slough is 12 minutes by train from Windsor.
A 5 minute walk away is Windsor & Eton Riverside Station with direct trains from Waterloo Station taking 53 minutes.
There are Greenline coaches from Victoria Coach Station to Windsor. If coming by car take the M4 to Exit 6. M3 to Exit 3.
Heathrow Airport is just over 20 minutes away by car.
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