One of the most popular days out from London is Windsor which is a historic market town in Berkshire and is known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family.
The town is situated 21 miles (34 km) west of the centre of London and is easily reached by train, car or coach. Windsor has two railway stations, Windsor & Eton Central railway station connecting which connects via Slough to express trains to London Paddington and to Reading and Windsor & Eton Riverside station provides a service to London Waterloo. Windsor has frequent bus services to/from London Heathrow Airport and Victoria Coach Station in central London.
Because Windsor has been a popular tourist attraction for a long time there is a well-developed tourist infrastructure with a several hotels, bars and restaurants. Various boat trips operate on the River Thames which winds its way through creating attractive riverside walks. Windsor is linked to the town of Eton which is on the opposite bank of the River Thames by Windsor Bridge.
Windsor Castle has been an important site for centuries, it was William the Conqueror who chose the site for Windsor Castle around 1070. The Castle was originally constructed to guard the approach to London. In the late 12th century, Henry II began rebuild the castle and Edward III in the 1350s spent a fortune to transform the castle into a palace
Charles II, who reclaimed his throne in 1660, modernised the royal apartments with expensive textiles and magnificent tapestries. Queen Victoria was especially fond of Windsor Castle and added a new private chapel in the 1840s.
One of the most dramatic events at the castle was more recent, when in 1992 a fire broke out in Queen Victoria’s private chapel destroying a number of areas in the building. The long process of repair and restoration began immediately and was completed within five years.
Although Windsor Castle is the main attraction, Windsor does also boast another major attraction with Legoland Windsor. The attraction is the only Legoland park in the United Kingdom and is one of the largest Legoland park in the world.
Like many tourist towns, there are plenty of gift shops and shops, one of the main shopping areas is the Windsor Royal Shopping arcade which is inside Windsor & Eton Central railway station.
Windsor attracts crowds of tourists who just stay for the day, however it has plenty of attractions and provides a good base to explore the surrounding area if you would to stay for a few days.
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