Hi, my name is Ray. I'm originally from Ashford, Kent but am currently working as an economist in ...
Hi, my name is Ray. I'm originally from Ashford, Kent but am currently working as an economist in Malaysia. I enjoy travelling, good food,non-league soocer and Formula 1 motor-racing and love writing about these passions. Hope you enjoy reading my ...
Member since:21.06.2000
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The skyline of the Royal Borough of Windsor is dominated by the very spectacular castle with its large round tower,battlements and pinnacles. Windsor castle was built by William the Conqueror and has been lived in and added to by virtually every monarch in the nine centuries that followed. Today,it is the largest inhabited castle in the world and the Royal Family frequently spend time here. You can visit the State Apartments where the suites of rooms are all very richly furnished. One should add that they also contain some wonderful art treasures with paintings by old masters such as Rembrandt,Holbein,Canaletto and Rubens as well as the likes of Chinese ceramcs and collections of arms and armour. It is also well worth while taking a look at St. George's Chapel which has an exceptional perpendicular Gothic ceiling. The chapel is the final resting place of numerous royal personages including Charles I,Henry VIII and wife No 3, Jane Seymour.
The town of Windsor and the adjoining Eton- to get to Eton you cross Windsor pedestrian bridge-is a very graceful one with some fine Georgian and Victorian architecture.There is the magnificent Guildhall,completed by Sir Christopher Wren in 1689, and the lovely Theatre Royal. Then there is Burfurd House where it reputed Charles I kept for his mistress Nell Gywn and the very charming Eton High Street with its little book shops,antique dealers and galleries. Whilst in Eton do check out Eton College which was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI and today has close to 1300 pupils. It is,of course,one of the most exclusive schools in the world and educated no less than 20 prime minsisters including Walpole, Pitt the Elder, Douglas Hume, and Harold MacMillan. The Duke of Wellington and writers like Shelley, Orwell and Fielding were also pupils there.
Shopping in Windsor is a most pleasant experience since much of the compact town centre is pedestrianised. You will find branches of Marks and Spencers, Laura Ashley, The Gap, Austin Reed, Tower Rcords, Fenwicks, DAKs, Liberty and Crabtree and Evelyn in Windsor.Not surprisingly in view of the fact that it is very much a tourist town there is a plethora of old English tea rooms such as the Magna Carta and the Crooked House tea rooms. Dining out in the Royal Borough is a breeze. A listing of some of the prominent restaurants such as Hong Kong, Jasmine Peking Restaurant, Al Fassia, Latino, Greek, Sharma Indian Restaurant, Yangstze and the Moroccan will give you the flavour of a very cosmopolitan eating out scene.
Other things worth seeing and doing include watching pageantry enacted through the Changing of the Guard which takes daily at 11.00 am from April to October.You will see a lot more if you go into the castle grounds. Mind you you wont be alone since thousands of North American tourists will be aahing and ohhing at the site of the Coldstream or Irish Guards performing their duties. Also head for the river and enjoy a boat trip along the Thames,if you have time,visit Legoland, and go to Runnymede where King John sealed the Magna Carta in 1215.
To gt to Windsor by rail from London there are services to Windsor & Eton Riverside by SW Trains with a journey time of around 50 minutes from Waterloo or a shorter 35 minute ride by Thames Trains from Paddington to Windsor Central.It is a lovely little town and well worth a visit.
An excellent op. I wish I were there.
Cheers!!!
Sri
Miss-D 02.05.2001 14:37
I go to windsor regularly because of work - lucky or what! It's a really beautiful place wher everything looks , well, beautiful (even the mcdonalds!). You can actually see the castle as a whole when you drive down a motorway named Goslar Way.. beautiful!!
tomc 01.05.2001 10:02
Something about the weather? I've been there twice and its rained. However, its a good day out, and I combined it last time with a visit to Eton and was able to go into the College Chapel. Very interesting opinion - thanks.
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Advantages: Picturesque and unusual town centre, variety of shops, sightseeing opportunities, restaurants Disadvantages: Very busy in high season, expensive to visit the castle, can be difficult to park
Pumpkin 01.07.2001 ·
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Review of Windsor in General
Advantages: Picturesque and unusual town centre, variety of shops, sightseeing opportunities, restaurants Disadvantages: Very busy in high season, expensive to visit the castle, can be difficult to park
Pumpkin 01.07.2001 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Windsor in General
Apr 30th, 2001
(Apr 28th, 2001)
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