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| Walls of the Windsor castle |
Day trips from London are literary endless. On our
sixth day of the trip, we decided to explore Windsor castle, much-desired trip
after the celebrated Prince Harry and Princess Meghan tied their knot. There
are various ways to visit Windsor castle from London, situated 24.4 miles from
the city heart. You can self -drive which takes 30 minutes from the city center, or
might take a taxi which will bill around £65- £75. The cheapest and easiest
way is to alight a train and you can reach Eton riverside within 54 minutes.
There was a huge queue when I visited the fort at 11
am. People from around the globe wait outside the gate to buy entrance tickets
to explore the iconic structure denoting British royalty. Windsor castle is one
of the most photographed structure and gets telecasted whenever the media wants
to focus any event emphasizing the royal family of Britain. The flag (Royal
standard) hovering at the top of the structure denotes the presence of Queen The mother inside her residence or if she has left for the day. You may purchase an entrance ticket from the queue or look for skip the queue tickets online.
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| The dome of the tower |
A brief history of the Windsor palace: Sneaking
a peek into history, the original castle was built way back in the 11th a century after the Norman invasion took place. It’s been in use by the British
monarchs since the reign of Henry I. The rooms in the palace are the finest
expression after Georgian taste. The fort was used as a military headquarter by
the parliamentary forces during the time of English civil war. The castle was
rebuilt and reconstructed in several eras and different rulers. There were
several damages done to the iconic fort form wars and attacks it suffered. When
King Edward VII came to the throne in 1901, he was obsessed with the modernization of
the Windsor castle with zest and enthusiasm. In 1992, a part of the fort
suffered from fire attack where 9 of the staterooms were worse affected. Today
some parts of the castle are open for public viewing thereby attracting large
funds required for maintaining and restoration process of the iconic residence
of British monarchs.
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| The royal choir busy performing |
The day was hot and the queue was long. I had to wait
a long time before the ticketing counter. The ticket cost me £22.5 per
person, the charge of touring the Windsor castle. The various divisions inside
the Windsor palace are- middle ward, upper ward, state apartment, lower
apartment and the park outside the fort.
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| Middle ward of the castle |
Middle ward: At the heart of the Windsor castle is a
middle ward, where a bailey is formed around an artificial hill. The round
tower, based on the top of the motte, was originally built in the 12th
century. Then again in the 19th century, it was rebuilt by architect
Jeffry Wyatville, which imposed more height and silhouette to the structure.
The recent height of the tower is criticized to be disproportionate to its
width. The Norman gatehouse resides to the Eastern exit. The gate was heavily
decorated and had medieval lion masks, which is a traditional symbol of
majesty.
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| Articles in use in the stateroom |
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| The Windsor castle in my camera |
Upper ward: The
upper ward of Windsor Castle has a number of major buildings enclosed by the
upper bailey wall. The structure forms a quadrangle. The buildings situated in
the upper wall are characterized by the usage of flint and mortar for galletting,
and that originally started in the 17th century. We saw the main
entrance and the royal guard on duty. The scene was much recollected when the
media covers any event inside the castle. During 1992, a massive fire broke out
thereby permanently damaging some rooms of the state house, but restoration
work went on in full swing.
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| The grand state apartment |
State apartments: Major parts of the upper ward is
occupied by the state apartments. The modern buildings follow medieval
foundations which were laid by King Edward III. The ground floor comprises
cellars and the grander first floor comprises the main part of the palace. The
interiors of the state apartment were designed by designer Wyatville. The rooms
are of Gothic, classical and Rococo style. The grand reception has the best
design.
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| Windsor castle gallery |
Lower ward: Lying below and west to the round tower is
the lower ward. Most of the portions are medieval design, and they were
reconstructed during the Victorian era by Edward Salvin. On the western side of
the chapel, there is a grand Victorian staircase, which is used during the
ceremonial occasions.
There is a curfew tower, which is one of the oldest
surviving parts of the lower wards that was in use during the 13th
century. They serve as the secret exit of the occupants during the time of siege.
Park and landscape: The park area extends over a
longer stretch. The castle garden stretches eastwards to form the upper ward
across and surrounded by chestnut and plane trees. The Eton College is placed a half mile from the palace, across the Thames River, which reflects the royal
foundation by Henry VI. Well, there are tour agents who arrange for an
afternoon tea session after the palace tour.
Royal tea in the royal palace. Nothing compared to it.
