The castle, after centuries of alterations, contains about 1,000 rooms and occupies 13 acres of land. William the Conqueror chose the site of Windsor Castle at ‘New Windsor’ - taking the name from the ‘Old Windsor’ which was used by the Saxon Kings of the Dark Ages. ‘New Windsor’ was 100 feet above the river Thames and on the edge of the Saxon hunting ground. Despite countless additions and alterations the outer walls and the central mound of the castle are still in the same position as those of the original castle built by William the Conqueror. It was a day’s march from the Tower of London and intended to guard the western approaches to the capital of England.
Windsor Castle consists of three “wards” - the upper ward , the middle ward and the lower ward.
Interesting Facts about Windsor Castle
The castle itself is not just the only link with history. There are a dozen ancient oak trees which date back to the Norman Conquest. The Queen is often in residence at Windsor Castle and this is indicated by the Royal Standard flying over the Round Tower. When the Queen is not in residence the Union Jack flag flies in its place. There are seventeen pieces of cannon mounted on the curtain wall of the Tower. When the disastrous fire burned Windsor castle approximately one-and-a-half million gallons of water was used to put out the blaze.
The Purpose & Function of Windsor Castle
The original functions of Windsor Castle were to:
Windsor Castle was therefore first built as a fortress with a central Keep, the first of its towers was called the “Great Tower.” Windsor Castle assumed its form with successive lines of fortification, only after hundreds of years and several different reigns. There are many different towers which form the Windsor Castle castle complex which covers 13 acres. The expansion of Windsor Castle to additional functions as:
The Prisoners of Windsor Castle
Windsor castle contains many dungeons which were occupied by many famous prisoners. Some of the famous prisoners of Windsor Castle are as follows:
The Fire at Windsor Castle
The fire at Windsor Castle started in the Private Chapel on November 20th 1992. The fire was ignited when a spotlight came into continuous contact with a curtain. The fire raged for nearly fifteen hours to the horror of the British nation. Members of the Royal family were present and made every effort to help the fire fighters and keep the Public informed of the changing situation. The devastation caused by the Windsor fire was truly horrendous. Over 100 rooms over an area were damaged or destroyed by the fire, approximately one-fifth of the Castle area including a vast part of the upper ward of Windsor Castle, including St. George’s hall. During 1992 - 1997 a significant amount of repair work was conducted following the Windsor Castle Fire at a cost of £37 million. The money was raised at no cost to the taxpayer
Windsor Castle
Windsor castle is steeped in English history - the Timeline detailing the dates of the most important facts and information about Windsor Castle will provide even more fascinating and comprehensive details about this magnificent building.