Windsor Castle

For over 1,000 years, Windsor Castle has been the English royal residence. This stunning castle, occupying 10.5 hectares/26.5 acres of land, is the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world.

William the Conqueror first made use of this vast space after the Battle of Hastings in 1066, crafting the castle out of wood in what was known as a motte-and-bailey style. The castle served as an excellent watchtower over the River Thames and Windsor Forest. Henry I was the first monarch to use the castle as a home. But various alterations to the site have since been made by his royal successors, including the addition of the beguiling Round Tower and a stone keep by Henry II. Perhaps no monarch worked on the castle as extensively as Edward III, however, who spent a vast amount of money on adding and improving it during his reign.

As well as private apartments for monarchs and visitors, the Castle contains an upper ward, which houses the royal library. This room contains priceless works by Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, to name but a few. However, when a fire broke out across the Castle in November 1992, a few works were sadly destroyed or damaged, along with more than 100 rooms. These rooms were restored in 1997 at a cost of almost £40 million.