According to victor.com, Windsor Castle is the largest working castle in the world that is still occupied by monarchy. For over 900 years, since William the Conqueror built a wooden fortress here, this has been a royal home and fortress. Queen Elizabeth spends a month at Easter, a week in June and most weekends at Windsor. This is also where she often hosts State Dinners for international dignitaries and entertains those she has knighted into the Order of the Garter. St George’s Chapel is a working chapel and many royal weddings and funerals have occurred here; the Queen Mother and Henry VIII are buried in the chapel.
Windsor Castle occupies a large site of more than thirteen acres, and combines the features of a fortification, a palace, and a small town. The present-day castle was created during a sequence of phased building projects, culminating in the reconstruction work after the major fire in 1992, described later in this post.
It is obvious that exterior walls were designed with security in mind, with only a few windows on outside walls, and towers that serve as lookouts strategically surround the compound. Other architectural details show how the castle was protected from intruders. For example, the mortar between the layers of stone in the protective walls that surround the fortress are embedded with sharp metal banding that would make climbing the wall extremely difficult, if not impossible; small slits along the wall are designed for protruding arrows for surprise attacks on the enemy.
I love travelling through the English countryside, a big change from the dry, baron lands down here in OZ. Great pics!
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Thanks, Tommy . . . there seems to be beauty all around. I look forward to reading about your upcoming adventures and seeing your photos of Montreal and Hong Kong!
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Windsor is such a beautiful place! Ive been there once, a long time agora, but would love to go again! Great pictures 🙂
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Thanks! It was a great side trip from the London rush.
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😀
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Beautiful pic, I love travelling!
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Great place, I remember my visit many years ago! Nice to see the report from another point of view!
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Thanks, Roberto!
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I enjoyed taking your tour of Windsor Castle, it was very interesting. Looks like an amazing place in a beautiful setting. I almost feel like I have been there thanks to your description and photos. Thanks.
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Thanks for checking it out!!
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Looks like a spectacular time, Tim
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Thanks, Brad . . . it was!!
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Nice pictures of the town! I’ll link to your article, if you don’t mind, since I only took a few photos of “up the hill.” Did you actually get to see the castle and the inside of the castle?
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Thanks for the referral! We were able to see only some of the interiors, but none of the private royal apartments.
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After reading your blog, I would like to go Windsor Castle one day too…
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Thanks, I am glad you found it interesting. Windsor is definitely worth the trip!
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Good post, thanks. I visited Windsor Castle some years ago but I never visit the town so I have to go back there.
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Thanks for your comment . . . I wish I had had more time to roam through the Town!
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