Windsor Berkshire Is A Town With A Royal Heritage

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March112010

Windsor Berkshire Is a Town With a Royal Heritage

Everyone has heard of Windsor Castle but there are many other things to see and do in this town of 30,000 found in the county of Berkshire in England. Windsor is situated near the Thames and is said to be a great place to live. Old Windsor is two miles to the south and was the original site of royal residence until Henry I moved it to the present site in 1086. The new site was called New Windsor up until 1974 when the name changed to just plain Windsor. Windsor Berkshire has a multitude of great things to keep your happy and occupied.

Because of all the high fees placed on those that lived in Windsor, it has been known to be the home of the wealthy. In fact, it was considered to be the richest town in England around 1332. The king had many projects he needed to have finished so he brought in many workers and there was an excess of jobs. Merchants soon followed because of the wealth of the area and Windsor became a great market area.

There are still many merchants in the town and shopping is very pleasurable. There are many gift and souvenir shops and many near the castle. There are large department stores, clothing stores and many others. Peascod Street is an ancient street in town that dates back even before the castle was built. Here you will find just about any kind of store you can imagine.

The main tourist spot in the town is Windsor Castle. The Queen makes her residence here and this enabled Windsor to have many amenities smaller towns in England do not have such as well known hotels and not one, but two railway stations. Windsor is the largest and the oldest castle to still be a residence in the entire world. It contains State Apartments, a beautiful chapel where many monarchs are buried called St. George Chapel, and a miniature rendition called Queen Marys Doll House. All these things can be seen from March to October and then from November to February. Call ahead to make sure the castle is open because it is a working castle and is closed for certain events.

A great tourist site for families in Windsor is LEGOLAND. This theme park is named after the plastic toy blocks that connect to make wonderful things and is suitable for families with children 3 to 12 years old. You can watch shows, ride the rides, and build many things with the popular LEGO blocks. It is open from March to November with variable hours.

Because the castle is the home of the queen there is a Changing of the Guard Ceremony that can be viewed from inside the castle. The Guard begins marching up High street about ten fifty am and proceeds to the lower ward guardroom in the castle where the ceremony lasts about thirty minutes. From April to July the ceremony takes place every day but Sunday as long as the weather is nice. From August to March it occurs every other day except when inclement weather threatens.

Other places to visit in Windsor are Savill Garden, Windsor Great Park, and Eton College. There are many different styles of restaurants in which to dine and several hotels both in and outside of the city that are very comfortable and luxurious. Windsor Festival takes place near the end of September every year and is a great time to visit the town. There are musical concerts, film festivals, tours, dance recitals and much more including events by popular celebrities.

Discover your next hotel in Windsor or select somewhere to stay from these UK hotels