Windsor, Berkshire

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Windsor, Berkshire

Windsor is a suburban town and tourist destination in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead

Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead is a Royal Borough of Berkshire, in South East England England. It became a unitary authority on 1 April 1998....
in Berkshire

Berkshire

Berkshire is a Home Counties in the South East England of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1958, and Letters patent issued confirming...
, England

England

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle, in Windsor, Berkshire in the England county of Berkshire, is the largest inhabited castle in the world and, dating back to the time of William I of England, is the oldest in continuous occupation....
.

The town is situated 21 miles (34 km) west of Charing Cross

Charing Cross

Charing Cross denotes the junction of the Strand, London, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in City of Westminster within Central London, England....
. It is immediately south of the River Thames

River Thames

The Thames is a major river flowing through southern England. While best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows through several other towns and cities, including Oxford, Reading, Berkshire and Windsor, Berkshire....
, which forms its boundary with Eton

Eton, Berkshire

Eton is a town in Berkshire, England, lying on the opposite bank of the River Thames to Windsor, Berkshire and connected to it by Windsor Bridge....
. Windsor and the surrounding areas contain some of the most expensive and desirable housing in the UK. The village of Old Windsor

Old Windsor

Old Windsor is a large village in the England county of Berkshire....
, just over two miles to the south, predates what is now called Windsor by around 300 years; in the past Windsor was formally referred to as New Windsor to distinguish the two.

early history of the site is unknown, although the site was almost certainly settled many years before the castle was built.

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Encyclopedia

Windsor is a suburban town and tourist destination in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead

Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead is a Royal Borough of Berkshire, in South East England England. It became a unitary authority on 1 April 1998....
in Berkshire

Berkshire

England

Windsor Castle

Charing Cross

River Thames

Eton, Berkshire

Old Windsor

History

The early history of the site is unknown, although the site was almost certainly settled many years before the castle was built. Histories of the town note that the combination of the navigable river and the strategically-placed hill point to the likelihood of continuous human settlement from early times. Evidence includes archaeological finds from Windsor, such as palaeolithic hand-axes, neolithic flint picks, Bronze Age swords and an Iron Age brooch. Although Roman remains are few, there is ample evidence of Saxon settlement in the area.

Windsor is first mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of annals in Old English language chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The annals were created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of Alfred the Great....
. The name originates from old English Windles-ore, or 'winch by the riverside', a royal settlement, now called Old Windsor

Old Windsor

Old Windsor is a large village in the England county of Berkshire....
, located about three miles from the modern town. Some time after 1086, probably in the reign of King Henry I

Henry I of England

Henry I was the fourth son of William I the Conqueror. He succeeded his elder brother William II of England as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106....
, the royal household relocated three miles upstream to the recently built timber motte and bailey castle in the manor

Manorialism

Manorialism or Seigneurialism was the organizing principle of rural economy and society widely practiced in Middle Ages western and parts of central Europe....
of Clewer

Clewer

Clewer is an ecclesiastical parish and region of Windsor, Berkshire making up three Ward of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in the England county of Berkshire....
(noted in the Domesday Book

Domesday Book

The Domesday Book is the record of the great survey of England completed in 1086, executed for William I of England, or William the Conqueror....
as 'Windsor Castle'). By 1110, important crown weddings were noted as taking place at the castle and King Henry married his second wife there in 1121, after the 'White Ship

White Ship

The White Ship , a twelfth-century vessel, sank in the English Channel near the Normandy coast off Barfleur, on November 25, 1120. Those drowned included William Adelin, the only legitimate son of King Henry I of England....
' disaster. The settlement at Old Windsor largely transferred to this 'New' Windsor during the 12th century, although substantial planning and setting out of the new town (including the parish church

Parish church

A parish church, in Christianity, is the local church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopalian church governance churches....
, marketplace

Marketplace

A marketplace is the space, actual or metaphorical, in which a market operates. The term is also used in a trademark law context to denote the actual consumer environment, ie....
, bridge

Bridge

A bridge is a structure built to span a gorge, valley, road, Rail tracks, river, body of water, or any other physical obstacle, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle....
and leper

Leprosy

Leprosy , or Hansen's disease , is a Chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the Peripheral nervous system and Mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions are the primary external symptom....
hospital) did not take place until c. 1170, following the civil war

The Anarchy

The Anarchy or The Nineteen Year Winter refers to a period of history of England during the reign of the Normans King, Stephen of England, which was characterised by civil war and unsettled government....
of Stephen

Stephen of England

Stephen often known as Stephen of Blois was a grandson of William I of England. He was the last Norman dynasty King of England, from 1135 to his death, and also the Count of Boulogne jure uxoris....
's reign. At about the same time, the present upper ward of the castle was rebuilt in stone. Windsor Bridge is the earliest bridge on the Thames between Staines and Reading, having been built when bridge building was not common. It played an important part in the national road system, and by diverting traffic into the new town, underpinned its success.

The town of New Windsor, as an ancient demesne of the Crown, was a privileged settlement from the start, apparently having the rights of a 'free borough' for which other towns had to pay substantial fees to the king. It had a merchant guild from the early 13th century and, under royal patronage, was made the chief town of the county by late the same century. Windsor was granted royal borough status by Edward I

Edward I of England

Edward I , popularly known as Longshanks, the English Justinian, and the Hammer of the Scots , was a House of Plantagenet King of England who achieved historical fame by conquering large parts of Wales and almost succeeding in doing the same to Scotland....
's charter

Charter

A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified....
of 1277 which gave no new rights or privileges to Windsor but, as one historian puts it, "recognised [Windsor's] existence and gave it a legal status as a borough".

New Windsor was a nationally significant town in the Middle Ages

Middle Ages

File:Karl 1 mit papst gelasius gregor1 sacramentar v karl d kahlen.jpgThe Middle Ages of European history are a period in history which lasted for roughly a millennium, commonly dated from the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century to the beginning of the Early Modern Period in the 16th century, marked by the division of Western Christi...
, certainly one of the fifty wealthiest towns in the country by 1332. Its prosperity came from its close association with the royal household. The repeated investment in the castle brought London merchants (goldsmiths, vintners, spicers and mercers) to the town and provided much employment for townsmen. The development of the castle under Edward III (1350-68), for example, was the largest secular building project in England of the Middle Ages, and many Windsor people worked in the castle on this building project. Henry III

Henry III of England

Henry III was the son and successor of John of England as King of England, reigning for fifty-six years from 1216 to his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester....
, a hundred years earlier, had spent more on Windsor Castle than on any other royal building project, save the rebuilding of Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey

The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, which is almost always referred to popularly and informally as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic architecture Church , in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster....
. The Black Death in 1348, although reducing some towns' populations by up to 50%, seems to have had less of an impact in Windsor. Possibly 30% of the town's population died, but the building projects of Edward III brought many building workers to the town, possibly doubling the population: the Black Death, and the plagues that followed in 1361 - 72, were a 'boom' time for the local economy. New people came to the town from every part of the country, and from continental Europe, to benefit from royal expenditure at the castle. The poet Geoffrey Chaucer

Geoffrey Chaucer

Geoffrey Chaucer was an English author, poet, philosopher, Bureaucracy, Noble court and diplomat. Although he wrote many works, he is best remembered for his unfinished frame narrative The Canterbury Tales....
worked at Windsor Castle as 'Clerk of the Works' in 1391.

The development of the castle continued in the 15th century. Windsor became a major pilgrimage

Pilgrimage

File:Supplicating Pilgrim at Masjid Al Haram. Mecca, Saudi Arabia.jpgIn religion and spirituality, a pilgrimage is a long quest or search of great moral significance....
destination, particularly for Londoners. Pilgrim

Pilgrim

A pilgrim is one who undertakes a pilgrimage, literally 'far afield'. This is traditionally a visit to a place of some religious or historic significance; often a considerable distance is traveled....
s came to touch the royal shrine

Shrine

A shrine, from the Latin scrinium is a holy or sacred place which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor veneration, hero, martyr, saint or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are veneration or worshipped....
of the murdered Henry VI

Henry VI of England

Henry VI was Kingdom of England 1422?1461 and then 1470?1471, and King of France as the de jure monarch from 1422 to 1429....
and the fragment of the True Cross

True Cross

The True Cross is the name for physical remnants which, by a Christianity tradition, are believed to be from the actual cross upon which Jesus was crucified....
in the new St George's Chapel

St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle

St George's Chapel is the place of worship at Windsor Castle in England. It is both a royal peculiar and the chapel of the Order of the Garter. The chapel is governed by the Dean and Canons of Windsor....
(1480) and visit the same king's college dedicated in 1440 to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Mary (mother of Jesus)

Mary , usually referred to by Christians as Saint Mary, the Virgin Mary, Holy Mary or the Madonna, was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee, identified in the New Testament as the mother of Jesus of Nazareth....
at Eton

Eton, Berkshire

Eton is a town in Berkshire, England, lying on the opposite bank of the River Thames to Windsor, Berkshire and connected to it by Windsor Bridge....
(Eton College

Eton College

Eton College, also known as Eton, is a world-famous British independent school for boys, founded in 1440 by Henry VI of England. It was founded as the King's College of Our Lady of Eton beside Windsor....
). Pilgrims came with substantial sums to spend. There were over 29 inns in Windsor to provide accommodation, some very large. The town became very prosperous. For London

City of London

The City of London is a geographically small city status in the United Kingdom within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which, along with Westminster, the modern conurbation grew....
pilgrims, Windsor was probably second in importance only to Canterbury

Canterbury

Canterbury lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a local government district of Kent, in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
and the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket

Thomas Becket

Thomas Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 to his death. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion....
. Henry VIII

Henry VIII of England

Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was also Lordship of Ireland and claimant to the Early Modern France. Henry was the second monarch of the House of Tudor, succeeding his father, Henry VII of England....
was buried in St George's Chapel in 1547, next to the body of Jane Seymour, the mother of his only legitimate son, Edward (Edward VI

Edward VI of England

Edward VI became List of English monarchs and King of Ireland on 28 January 1547 and was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII of England and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first Protestantism ruler....
). Henry, the inventor of the Church of England

Church of England

The Church of England is the State religion Christianity Ecclesia in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the oldest among the communion's thirty-eight independent national and regional churches....
, may have wanted to benefit from the stream of Catholic pilgrims coming to the town. His will gives that impression.

Tudor and Stuart periods

The town began to stagnate about ten years after the Reformation

Protestant Reformation

The Protestant Reformation was a Christian reform movement in Europe. It is thought to have begun in 1517 with Martin Luther's Ninety-Five Theses and may be considered to have ended with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648....
. The castle was considered old fashioned and shrines to the dead thought 'superstitious'. The early modern period

Early modern Europe

Early modern is the term used by historians to refer to a period in the history of Western Europe and its first colony which spanned the centuries between the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, roughly the late 15th century to the late 18th century....
formed a stark contrast to the medieval history of the town. Most accounts of Windsor in the 16th and 17th centuries talk of its poverty, badly made streets and poor housing. Shakespeare's

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was an English people poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's preeminent dramatist....
play The Merry Wives of Windsor
The Merry Wives of Windsor

The Merry Wives of Windsor is a comedy by William Shakespeare, first published in 1602, though believed to have been written prior to 1597....
is set in Windsor and contains many references to parts of the town and the surrounding countryside. Shakespeare must have walked the town's streets, near the castle and river, much as people still do. The play may have been written in the Garter Inn, although this was certainly not part of the modern Harte and Garter Hotel opposite the castle. Windsor was the home of the New Model Army

New Model Army

The New Model Army was formed in 1645 by the roundhead in the English Civil War. It differed from other armies in the same conflict in that it was intended as an army liable for service anywhere in the country, rather than being tied to a single area or garrison....
and the castle was garrisoned by Colonel Venn during the English Civil War

English Civil War

The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Roundhead and Cavalier. The First English Civil War and Second English Civil War civil wars pitted the supporters of Charles I of England against the supporters of the Long Parliament, while the Third English Civil War saw fighting between supporters...
. Despite its royal dependence, like many commercial centres, Windsor was a Parliamentarian

Roundhead

"Roundheads" was the nickname given to the Puritan supporters of Parliament of England during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they were the supporters of Oliver Cromwell against Charles I of England ....
town. Charles I

Charles I of England

Charles I was List of English monarchs, List of monarchs of Scotland and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his capital punishment on 30 January 1649....
was buried without ceremony in St George's after his execution

Capital punishment

Capital punishment, the death penalty or execution, is the killing of a person by procedural law for Punishment#Retribution and Punishment#Incapacitation....
at Whitehall

Palace of Whitehall

File:Ingo Jones drawing.jpgThe Palace of Whitehall was the main residence of the English List of British monarchs in London from 1530 until 1698 when all except Inigo Jones's 1622 Banqueting House was destroyed by fire....
in 1649. The present Guildhall

Guildhall, Windsor

The Guildhall in Windsor, Berkshire, England, is the town hall. It is situated in the High Street, about 100 metres from Castle Hill, which leads to the main public entrance to Windsor Castle....
, built in 1680, replaced an earlier market hall that had been built on the same site around 1580, as well as the old guildhall, which faced the castle and had been built around 1370. The contraction in the number of public buildings speaks of a town in decline.

Georgian and Victorian periods

In 1778, there was a resumption of the royal presence, with George III

George III of the United Kingdom

George III was Kingdom of Great Britain and Kingdom of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death....
at the Queen's Lodge and, from 1804, at the castle. This started a period of new development in Windsor, with the building of two army barracks

Barracks

Barracks are living quarters for personnel on a military post. They are typically very plain and all of the buildings in the housing unit are often uniform structures....
. However the associated large numbers of soldiers led to a major prostitution problem by 1830 in a town where the number of streets had little changed since 1530. The substantial redevelopment of the castle in the subsequent decade, the coming of two railways in 1849 and Queen Victoria

Victoria of the United Kingdom

Victoria was from 20 June 1837 the Queen regnant of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and from 1 May 1876 the first Empress of India of the British Raj until her death....
's residence from 1840 signalled the most dramatic changes in the town's history. It was catapulted from a sleepy medieval has-been to the centre of Empire

British Empire

The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, and other Dependent territory ruled or administered by the United Kingdom , that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries....
- many European crowned heads of state came to Windsor to visit the Queen throughout the rest of the 19th century. Unfortunately, excessive redevelopment and 'refurbishment' of Windsor's medieval fabric at this time resulted in widespread destruction of the old town, including the demolition of the old parish church

Church of England parish church

A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish....
of St John the Baptist

John the Baptist

John the Baptist was a mission preacher and a major religious figure who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River in expectation of a divine apocalypse that would restore occupied Israel....
in 1820. The original had been built in 1180.

Later periods

Most the current town's streets date from the mid 19th century. However the main street, Peascod Street (pronounced Pes-cod Street) is very ancient. It predates the castle by many years, certainly it formed part of the 10th century parish structure in east Berkshire. In comparison, the 1000 year old royal castle, although the largest and longest occupied in Europe, is a recent development. "New Windsor" was officially renamed "Windsor" in 1974.

Shopping

Windsor is particularly well served when it comes to shops. As a tourist town there is a wide selection of gift shops around the castle, together with stylish shops and restaurants in Windsor Royal Station as well as an independent department store

Department store

A department store is a retail establishment which specializes in selling a wide range of products without a single predominant Merchandise#Product_line....
, W J Daniel, a little way down Peascod Street. Daniels is also noted for its toy department. Additional stores include a Marks & Spencer

Marks & Spencer

Marks & Spencer is a major United Kingdom retailer, with over 840 stores in Marks & Spencer#International stores around the world, over 600 domestic and 285 international....
store in Peascod Street and a new Waitrose

Waitrose

Waitrose is the supermarket division of the British retailer the John Lewis Partnership. As of February 2009, there are 198 branches across the United Kingdom....
supermarket in King Edward Court. There are many other shops within this area, many being famous names normally only expected to be found in London. The new development of shops also includes a Zara, Topshop

Topshop

Topshop is a United Kingdom chain of clothing stores that operates in over 100 countries that includes the United Kingdom as well as Republic of Ireland....
, New Look and H&M.

Tourism

Windsor is a popular tourist destination and location of Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle, in Windsor, Berkshire in the England county of Berkshire, is the largest inhabited castle in the world and, dating back to the time of William I of England, is the oldest in continuous occupation....
, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family

British Royal Family

The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in his or her Commonwealth realm#The Crown in the Commonwealth realmss, thus sometimes at variance with official national terms for the family....
. The castle was originally established by King William I of England

William I of England

William I , better known as William the Conqueror , was Duke of Normandy from 1035 and English monarchy from later 1066 to his death. William is sometimes also referred to as "William II" in relation to his position as the second Duke of Normandy of that name....
but has been substantially altered and added to over the centuries.

As a result of the royal residence Windsor has facilities usually found in larger towns: two railway stations, a theatre and several substantial hotels. The town is also the location of Legoland

Legoland Windsor

Legoland Windsor is a child-oriented theme park in Windsor, Berkshire in England, themed around the Lego toy system. The park opened in 1996 on the site of what was the Windsor Safari Park, as the second Lego Group Legoland ....
, built on the site of Windsor Safari Park

Windsor Safari Park

Windsor Safari Park was a popular family attraction built on St. Leonards Hill on the outskirts of the England town of Windsor, Berkshire in Berkshire; it has since been converted into the site of Legoland Windsor....
. On construction, several tons of hippo dung had to be removed from the enclosure used by the animals.

Regular return riverboat cruises operate daily from February to November from the Promenade, Barry Avenue. These Trips operated by French Brothers, these include 40 minute and 2 hour trips and provide unique views of the Castle.

The Windsor wheel is a more recent addition to the town's tourist attractions, and provides an overhead view of the surrounding area, including the castle, Eton

Eton, Berkshire

Eton is a town in Berkshire, England, lying on the opposite bank of the River Thames to Windsor, Berkshire and connected to it by Windsor Bridge....
and the Thames Valley

Thames Valley

The Thames Valley generally implies the region that drains into the River Thames , from west of Cirencester to London but is used in a more specific term by the government....
. Located in Alexandra Gardens near the River Thames, it is assembled in the summer and dismantled in the autumn.

Transport

Windsor is accessible from J6 of the M4

M4 motorway

The M4 motorway is a motorway in Great Britain linking London with West Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Berkshire, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea....
and Slough

Slough

Slough is a Borough status in the United Kingdom and unitary authority area within the Ceremonial counties of England of Berkshire, England, situated west of London....
via a 3 mile long dual-carriageway.

Windsor has two railway stations. Windsor & Eton Central railway station has a shuttle service to Slough

Slough

Slough is a Borough status in the United Kingdom and unitary authority area within the Ceremonial counties of England of Berkshire, England, situated west of London....
which has access to trains into London

London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
Paddington, and west to Maidenhead

Maidenhead

Maidenhead is a town within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. It lies on the River Thames and is situated west of Charing Cross in London....
and as far as Bristol

Bristol

Bristol is a City status in the United Kingdom, unitary authority area and Ceremonial counties of England in South West England, west of London, and east of Cardiff....
. Windsor & Eton Riverside station provides a service to London

London

Waterloo station

London Waterloo is a major railway terminus in London, England owned and operated by Network Rail. It is in the London Borough of Lambeth near the South Bank, in Travelcard Zone 1, and houses a British Transport Police station....
. Both stations were built at around the same time in the 19th century, as the two train companies which owned the lines both wanted to carry Queen Victoria

Victoria of the United Kingdom

Victoria was from 20 June 1837 the Queen regnant of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and from 1 May 1876 the first Empress of India of the British Raj until her death....
to Windsor, with the first line opened gaining the privilege. From 1883 to 1885, the London Underground

London Underground

The London Underground is a metro system serving a large part of Greater London and neighbouring areas of Essex, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire in the UK....
's District Line

District Line

The District line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. It is a "sub-surface" line, running through the central area in shallow cut-and-cover tunnels....
's westbound service ran to as far as Windsor.

Windsor is linked to the town of Eton

Eton, Berkshire

Eton is a town in Berkshire, England, lying on the opposite bank of the River Thames to Windsor, Berkshire and connected to it by Windsor Bridge....
(which is situated on the opposite bank of the River Thames

River Thames

Windsor Bridge

Windsor Bridge or Windsor Town Bridge, is a road bridge over the River Thames between the towns of Windsor, Berkshire and Eton, Berkshire in the England county of Berkshire....
. Originally a fully trafficked road bridge, Windsor Bridge is now for pedestrian

Pedestrian

A pedestrian is a person travelling on foot, whether walking or running. In some communities, those traveling using roller skates, skateboards, and similar devices are also considered to be pedestrians....
s and cyclists only and provides an excellent walking route from Windsor to Eton's High Street. To the south of the town lies Windsor Great Park

Windsor Great Park

Windsor Great Park is a large deer park of 5,000 acres, to the south of the town of Windsor, Berkshire on the border of Berkshire and Surrey in England....
and the towns of Old Windsor

Old Windsor

Old Windsor is a large village in the England county of Berkshire....
, Egham

Egham

Egham is a small town in the Runnymede of Surrey, in the South East England of England. It is part of the London commuter belt, and about southwest of central London on the River Thames and near junction 13 of the M25 motorway....
and Virginia Water

Virginia Water

Virginia Water is a large village, a lake and, originally, a stream, the village being in the borough of Runnymede in Surrey and the bodies of water stretching over the borders of Runnymede, Old Windsor and Sunninghill and Ascot, all in England....
.

Windsor lies on National Cycle Network

National Cycle Network

The National Cycle Network is a network of bicycle routes in the United Kingdom.The National Cycle Network was created by the charity Sustrans , and aided by a ?42.5 million National Lottery grant....
Route 4 (London

London

St David's

St David's is the smallest City status in the United Kingdom in the United Kingdom, with a population of under 2,000 people. It lies on the River Alun, on Saint David's peninsula in Pembrokeshire, Wales....
). The main access roads serving the town have adjacent cycle paths or nearby alternative traffic-free cycle routes.

Notable residents

Other than The Queen of England and other British Royal Family

British Royal Family

The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in his or her Commonwealth realm#The Crown in the Commonwealth realmss, thus sometimes at variance with official national terms for the family....
members, Windsor has many notable residents both former and current.

Actress Anna Friel
Anna Friel

Anna Louise Friel is a Golden Globe Award-nominated England actor from Rochdale, in Greater Manchester. She currently stars as List of characters in Pushing Daisies#Charlotte "Chuck" Charles, the female lead in the United States television series Pushing Daisies....
spent several years living in Windsor, but moved on in 2007
Australian pop singer Natalie Imbruglia
Natalie Imbruglia

Natalie Jane Imbruglia is an Australian singer-songwriter, model and actress.In the early 1990s, Imbruglia was known to audiences as Beth Willis in the popular Australian Soap opera Neighbours....
owns a house on White Lilies Island
White Lilies Island

White Lilies Island is the second album by Natalie Imbruglia. It was released in Europe and Australia in late 2001 and in the United States on March 5, 2002....
in the Clewer Village area of Windsor.
Actor Michael Caine
Michael Caine

Sir Michael Caine Order of the British Empire , is a two-time Academy Award and multiple BAFTA Award and Golden Globe winning England film actor who has appeared in more than one hundred films....
lived at the Old Mill House at the end of Mill Lane, Windsor during the 1960's/70's. The house was subsequently sold to guitarist Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page

James Patrick Page Order of the British Empire is an English guitarist, composer and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he co-founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin....
of the rock band Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin were an English rock music band formed in 1968 by Jimmy Page , Robert Plant , John Paul Jones and John Bonham . With their heavy, guitar-driven sound, Led Zeppelin are regarded as one of the first heavy metal music bands....
, who sold the property in 2004.
Actor Kris Marshall
Kris Marshall

Christopher "Kris" Marshall is an England actor best known for his role as Nick Harper in My Family....
is a long time and current resident of Windsor
Comedian Freddie Starr
Freddie Starr

Freddie Starr is an England comedian who shot to fame after his appearance in the 1970 Royal Variety Performance. He is also a veteran impressionist and singer, with a chart album and UK top 10 single to his credit....
- Lived in Windsor in the '70s in the famous St Leonards Hill area
Pop Star Lisa Scott Lee - who circa. 2005 moved on from the teen band Steps to doing solo work.
Margaret Oliphant - 19th century novelist and historical writer. Lived at Clarence Crescent. Today the house is named "The Oliphant House".
Ranulph Fiennes
Ranulph Fiennes

Sir Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, 3rd Baronet Order of the British Empire , usually known as Ranulph Fiennes, is a United Kingdom List of explorers and holder of several endurance records....
- Adventurer, Explorer and Author was born in Windsor
Actor Alex Pettyfer
Alex Pettyfer

Alexander Richard "Alex" Pettyfer is an England actor and Model . The son of an actor and former fashion model, he appeared on stage and in television before being cast as Alex Rider , the main character in the film version of Stormbreaker ....
- Star of the 2006 film Stormbreaker
Stormbreaker

'Stormbreaker' may refer to:*Stormbreaker , a novel by Anthony Horowitz*Stormbreaker , a film based on the novel by Anthony Horowitz*...
, Played the role of Alex Rider
Alex Rider

Alex Rider is a series of Spy fiction by English people author Anthony Horowitz about a young spy named Alex Rider . Seven novels have been published to date....
Actress Sue Holderness
Sue Holderness

Sue Holderness is an England actress. Since 1985 she has played the role of Marlene Boyce in the United Kingdom situation comedy Only Fools and Horses and its spin-off The Green Green Grass ....
- played Marlene in the long running UK TV sit-com Only Fools and Horses
Only Fools and Horses

Only Fools and Horses is a United Kingdom television situation comedy, created and written by John Sullivan , and made and broadcast by the BBC....

Sport

Windsor has a football team called Windsor & Eton F.C. who currently play in the Southern League Division One South and West. And also Eton Excelsior Rowing Club. Windsor RFC's clubhouse and pitches are at Home Park in the Shadow of the castle, the team currently plays in the Southern Counties - South division.

Politics

Windsor is part of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead

Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead is a Royal Borough of Berkshire, in South East England England. It became a unitary authority on 1 April 1998....
which is administered by an elected unitary authority

Unitary authority

A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national government....
. The mayor is Councillor

Councillor

A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council. Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman....
Leo Walters (Conservative

Conservative Party (UK)

The Conservative and Unionist Party, more commonly known as the Conservative Party, is a conservative political party in the United Kingdom....
, though is politically neutral in the role).

The current MP

Member of Parliament

A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative of the voters to a parliament. In many countries the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a unique title, such as senate, and thus also have unique titles for its members, such as senators....
for the Windsor constituency

Windsor (UK Parliament constituency)

Windsor is a constituency represented in the British House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. In its modern form, it elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
(which includes surrounding small towns and villages, such as Eton

Eton, Berkshire

Eton is a town in Berkshire, England, lying on the opposite bank of the River Thames to Windsor, Berkshire and connected to it by Windsor Bridge....
and Datchet

Datchet

Datchet is an England River Thames village situated in the unitary authority of Windsor and Maidenhead in the county of Berkshire. Prior to the 1974 boundary changes, Datchet was situated in Buckinghamshire....
) is Adam Afriyie

Adam Afriyie

Adam Afriyie is a United Kingdom politician, and Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Windsor . He was elected at the UK general election, 2005, succeeding Michael Trend, who was forced to stand down after wrongfully claiming housing allowances....
(Conservative

Conservative Party (UK)

The Conservative and Unionist Party, more commonly known as the Conservative Party, is a conservative political party in the United Kingdom....
), who was elected at the 2005 General Election

United Kingdom general election, 2005

The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, with a reduced Majority government of 66....
. Afriyie is notable for being the first black Conservative MP.

Windsor, Berkshire

History

Tudor and Stuart periods

Georgian and Victorian periods

Later periods

Shopping

Tourism

Transport

Notable residents

Sport

Politics

External links