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Windsor, Berkshire

Coordinates:51°28′45″N0°36′34″W/ 51.4791°N 0.6095°W/51.4791; -0.6095
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"Windsor, England" and "Windsor, UK" redirect here. For other places, seeWindsor (disambiguation) § United Kingdom.

Windsor
Town
Windsor is located in Berkshire
Windsor
Windsor
Location withinBerkshire
Population32,608 (2018 est.)
OS grid referenceSU965765
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townWindsor
Postcode districtSL4
Dialling code01753
PoliceThames Valley
FireRoyal Berkshire
AmbulanceSouth Central
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Berkshire
51°28′45″N0°36′34″W/ 51.4791°N 0.6095°W/51.4791; -0.6095

Windsoris a historic town in theRoyal Borough of Windsor and MaidenheadinBerkshire,England. It is the site ofWindsor Castle,one of the official residences of theBritish monarch.The town is situated 21.8 miles (35.1 km) west ofCharing Cross,central London,5.8 miles (9.3 km) southeast ofMaidenhead,and 15.8 miles (25.4 km) east of the moderncounty townofReading.It is immediately south of theRiver Thames,which forms its boundary with its smaller, ancient twin town ofEton.The village ofOld Windsor,just over 2 miles (3 km) 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.[a]

Etymology[edit]

Windlesorais first mentioned in theAnglo-Saxon Chronicle.(The settlement had an earlier name but this is unknown.) The name originates fromold EnglishWindles-oreorwinch by the riverside.[1][2][3]This etymology is shared withWinsorin Hampshire. By 1110, meetings of theGreat Council,which had previously taken place at Windlesora, were noted as taking place at thecastle,referred to as New Windsor.[dubious–discuss]By the late 12th century the settlement at Windelsora had been renamedOld Windsor.

History[edit]

Windsor Castle,viewed from the Long Walk
The Market Place andWindsor Guildhall
Aerial view of Windsor around its castle and Eton in the distance, with Home Park in the bottom right
Windsor Seal

Medieval period[edit]

The early history of the site is unknown, although it was almost certainly[dubious–discuss]settled some years before 1070 whenWilliam the Conquerorhad a timbermotte-and-bailey castleconstructed.[3]The focus of royal interest at that time[when?]was not the castle, however, but a small riverside settlement about 3 miles (4.8 km) downstream, possibly established from the 7th century. From about the 8th century, high status people as well as the royalty began visiting the site. From the 11th century the site's link with KingEdward the Confessoris documented. In the later medieval period, royal use of the site increased, probably because it offered good access to woodlands and opportunities for hunting – a sport which also developed military skills.

Plantagenet period[edit]

The settlement atOld Windsorlargely transferred to New Windsor during the 12th century, although substantial planning and setting out of the new town (including the parish church, marketplace, bridge,hermitageandleperhospital) did not take place untilc. 1170,underHenry II,following thecivil warofStephen'sreign. At about the same time, the castle was rebuilt in stone.Windsor Bridgeis the earliest bridge on theThamesbetweenStainesandReading,built at a time when bridge building was rare; it was first documented in 1191 but had probably been built, according to thePipe rolls,in 1173. It played an important part in the national road system, linking London with Reading andWinchester.By directing traffic into the new town, it underpinned the success of New Windsor's fledgling economy.

The town was the site of theTreaty of Windsorin the year 1175, following theNormansinvasion of Ireland. The treaty was betweenHenry IIandRuadhrí Ua Conchobhair,High King of Ireland.The treaty involved agreements regarding the two kings' respective spheres of influence on the island of Ireland, control over their subjects, and the paying of tribute to Henry. Despite the agreement, the treaty would collapse and conflict in Ireland would continue for several centuries.[4][5]

The town of New Windsor, as an ancientdemesneofthe Crown,was a privileged settlement from the start, apparently having the rights of afree borough,for which other towns had to pay substantial fees to the king. It had amerchant guild(known by the 14th century as the Fraternity or brotherhood of theHoly Trinity) from the early 13th century and, under royal patronage, was made the chief town of the county in 1277, as part of its grant of royal borough status byEdward I'scharter.Somewhat unusually, this charter gave no new rights or privileges to Windsor but probably codified the rights which it had enjoyed for many years.

Windsor's position as chief town ofBerkshirewas short-lived, however, as people found it difficult to reach.Wallingfordtook over this position in the early 14th century. As a self-governing town Windsor enjoyed a number of freedoms unavailable to other towns, including the right to hold its own borough court, the right of membership (or 'freedom') and some financial independence. The town accounts of the 16th century survive in part, although most of the once substantial borough archive dating back to the 12th century was destroyed, probably in the late 17th century.

New Windsor was a nationally significant town in theMiddle Ages,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,spicersandmercers) to the town in the late 13th century and provided much employment for townsmen. The development of the castle underEdward III,between 1350 and 1368, was the largest secular building project in England of the Middle Ages, and many Windsor people worked on this project, again bringing great wealth to the town. Although theBlack Deathin 1348 had reduced some towns' populations by up to 50%, in Windsor the building projects of Edward III brought money to the town, and possibly its population doubled: this was a 'boom' time for the local economy. People came to the town from every part of the country, and from continental Europe. The poetGeoffrey Chaucerheld the honorific post ofClerk of the Worksat Windsor Castle in 1391.

The development of the castle continued in the late 15th century with the rebuilding ofSt George's Chapel.With this Windsor became a major pilgrimage destination, particularly for Londoners.Pilgrimscame to touch the royal shrine of the murderedHenry VI,the fragment of theTrue Crossand other important relics. Visits to the chapel were probably combined with a visit to the important nearbyMarianshrine and college atEton,founded by Henry VI in 1440, and dedicated to theAssumption;which is now better known asEton College.Pilgrims came with substantial sums to spend. From perhaps two or three named inns in the late 15th century, some 30 can be identified a century later. The town again grew in wealth. For London pilgrims, Windsor was probably – but briefly – of greater importance thanCanterburyand the shrine of that city's patron saintThomas Becket.

Tudor and Stuart periods[edit]

With the closures of theReformation,however, Windsor's pilgrims traffic died out, and the town began to stagnate about ten years afterwards. The castle was considered old-fashioned and shrines to the dead were thought to be superstitious. Theearly modern periodformed a stark contrast to the medieval history of the town.Henry VIIIwas buried inSt George's Chapelin 1547, next toJane Seymour,the mother of his only legitimate son, Edward (Edward VI). Henry, the founder of theChurch of England,may have wanted to benefit from the stream of pilgrims coming to the town. His will gives that impression.

Most accounts of Windsor in the 16th and 17th centuries talk of its poverty, badly made streets and poor housing.Shakespeare'splayThe Merry Wives of Windsoris 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 Thames, much as people still do. The play may have been written in the Garter Inn, opposite the Castle, but this was destroyed by fire in the late 17th century. The long-standing – and famous – courtesan of kingCharles II,Nell Gwyn,was given a house on St Albans Street: Burford House (now part of the Royal Mews). Her residence in this house, as far as it is possible to tell, was brief. Only one of her letters addressed from Burford House survives: it was probably intended as a legacy for her illegitimate son, the Earl of Burford, later theDuke of St Albans.

Windsor wasgarrisonedby Colonel Venn during theEnglish Civil War.Later it became the home of theNew Model Armywhen Venn had left the castle in 1645. Despite its royal dependence, like many commercial centres, Windsor was aParliamentariantown.Charles Iwas buried without ceremony inSt George's Chapelafter his execution atWhitehallin 1649. The presentGuildhall,built in 1680–91, replaced an earlier market house 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 1350. The contraction in the number of old public buildings speaks of a town 'clearing the decks', ready for a renewed period of prosperity withCharles II's return to the Castle.

But his successors did not use the place, and as the town was short of money, the planned new civic buildings did not appear. The town continued in poverty until the mid 19th century. In 1652 the largest house inWindsor Great Parkwas built on land whichOliver Cromwellhad appropriated fromthe Crown.Now known asCumberland Lodgeafter theDuke of Cumberland's residence there in the mid-18th century, the house was variously known as Byfield House, New Lodge, Ranger's Lodge, Windsor Lodge and Great Lodge.[6]

Georgian and Victorian periods[edit]

In 1778, there was a resumption of the royal presence, withGeorge IIIat 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. 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. In the 18th century the town traded with London selling theWindsor Chairwhich was actually made inBuckinghamshire.

A number of fine houses were built in this period, including Hadleigh House on Sheet Street, which was built in 1793 by the then mayor of Windsor, William Thomas. In 1811 it was the home of John O'Reilly, the apothecary-surgeon toGeorge III.Windsor Castle was the westernmost sighting-point for theAnglo-French Survey (1784–1790),which measured the precise distance between theRoyal Greenwich Observatoryand theParis Observatorybytrigonometry.Windsor was used because of its relative proximity to the base-line of the survey atHounslow Heath.

Photochromof Windsor andWindsor Castlelooking across theThames,1895

The substantial redevelopment of the castle in the subsequent decade andQueen Victoria's residence from 1840, as well as the coming of two railways in 1849, signalled the most dramatic changes in the town's history. These events catapulted the town from a sleepy medieval has-been to the centre ofempire– 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 oldparish church of St John the Baptistin 1820. The original had been built around 1135.

Later periods[edit]

Most of the current town's streets date from the mid to late 19th century.[7]However the main street, Peascod Street (/ˈpɛskɒd/) is very ancient, predating the castle by many years, and probably ofAnglo-Saxonorigin. It formed part of the 10th-century parish structure in east Berkshire and is first referred to as Peascroftstret in c. 1170. The 1,000-year-old royal castle, although the largest and longest-occupied in Europe, is a recent development in comparison. "New Windsor" was officially renamed "Windsor" in 1974.[citation needed]

Religion[edit]

St John the Baptist's parish church
All Saints' parish church

The originalparish church of Windsoris dedicated to St John the Baptist and is situated adjacent to the High Street. The church is said to have dated from the time that KingHenry Imoved theRoyal CourtfromOld Windsorto 'New Windsor'. The church was clearly established by the time ofHenry IIin about 1110, as there are references to it by then.[8]In 1543,Henry Filmer,Robert TestwoodandAnthony Pearson,the threeWindsor Martyrs,were burnt at the stake in Deanery Gardens, near the church.[8]The original church building hadSaxonarches andNormanwork and by the 18th century it was described as 'a vast building with 10 side altars and several chantries' and perhaps eightgabled roofs.There was a small spire on top of the main central tower.[8]

In 1818 the high cost of repairs to the old building led to plans for a complete rebuild at a cost of £14,000. Charles Hollis was appointed architect and the new building was erected between 1820 and 1822 with cast iron columns that were floated down the Thames. The ribs that support the roof are also cast iron. The new church,Gothic in stylewith a pinnacle tower containing the bells, was officially consecrated by theBishop of Salisburyon 22 June 1822.[8]Samuel Sanders Teulonadded thechanceland theapsein 1880. Thechancel screenwas added in 1898 to mark the 60-year reign ofQueen Victoria.In 1906 theHunterorgan was installed. The north side gallery was reduced in length to make way for the organ.[8]

The more recent church of All Saints' is situated on Frances Road. The incumbent vicar is the Revd Canon Sally Lodge.[9]The authorThomas Hardytrained as an architect and joinedArthur Blomfield's practice as assistant architect in April 1862. Between 1862 and 1864 he worked with Blomfield on All Saints'.[10]Areredos,possibly designed by Hardy, was discovered behind panelling at All Saints' in August 2016.[11][12]

Tourism[edit]

Entrance toLegoland Windsor Resort

As a result of the castle, Windsor is a popular tourist destination and has facilities usually found in larger towns: two railway stations, a theatre and several substantial hotels. Various boat trips operate on the River Thames, with connections toMaidenheadandStaines-upon-Thames.In winter, Alexandra Gardens hosts a temporary ice rink.[13]Near the town isLegoland Windsor,the only Legoland park in the United Kingdom and the largest Legoland park in the world in terms of area. Legoland Windsor was built on the site of the formerWindsor Safari Park.

Shopping[edit]

Central Station refashioned as a shopping precinct

As a tourist town there are many gift shops around the castle, and there are shops and restaurants in Windsor Royal Station[14]insideWindsor & Eton Central railway station.The main shopping street is Peascod Street.[15]

Transport[edit]

Windsor & Eton Riverside railway station

Windsor has two railway stations.Windsor & Eton Central railway stationis the southern terminus of theSlough–Windsor & Eton line.AGreat Western Railwayshuttle toSloughconnects with services toLondon PaddingtonandReading.Windsor & Eton Riverside stationis the terminus forSouth Western Railwaydirect services fromLondon Waterloo.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 carryQueen Victoriato Windsor, with the first line opened gaining the privilege.[16]From 1883 to 1885, London'sDistrict Railway's westbound service from ran as far as Windsor.

Bus services in the town are provided byThames Valley Buses,First Berkshire & The Thames ValleyandReading Buses.[17]There are frequent bus services between Windsor andHeathrow Airport,Green Line Coach StationinCentral London,andLegoland Windsor Resort.[18]Windsor has a large central coach park with 74 spaces to cater mostly for the large tourist groups coming to visit Windsor Castle and town.[19]It is accessed by pedestrians via a footbridge adjacent toWindsor & Eton Central railway station.Windsor is linked to the town ofEton(on the opposite bank of theRiver Thames) byWindsor Bridge.Originally a fully trafficked road bridge, Windsor Bridge is now for pedestrians and cyclists only. To the south of the town liesWindsor Great Parkand the towns ofOld Windsor,EghamandVirginia Water.Windsor lies onNational Cycle Route 4(London–Fishguard). The main access roads serving the town have adjacent cycle paths or nearby alternative traffic-free cycle routes.

Windsor has links to three local motorways:

  • theM3(junction3), 10 miles (16 km) to the south via the A332, passingAscot;
  • theM4(junction 6), 3 miles (5 km) to the north via the A332, with the A355 spur leading toSlough;
  • theM25(junction 13), 5 miles (8 km) to the east via theA308,which continues toStaines-upon-Thames.

Sport[edit]

Windsor's seniorfootballteam isWindsor & Eton F.C.The team currently play in theCombined Counties LeagueDivision One and their home ground is Stag Meadow, granted to the original club byKing George Vin 1911.

Windsor Cricket Club's clubhouse and pitches are at Home Park (public) adjacent toWindsor Castle.The club played host to a 2006Lord's Tavernerscricket match. The Windsor 1st team currently play in Division 2A of the Thames Valley League.

WindsorRugbyClub also use the Home Park (public) ground and the team currently plays in theSouthern Counties Northdivision.

Several other local sports clubs are based at Home Park (public), includinghockeyandarcheryclubs, and the Datchet Dashers running club.

Royal Windsor Rollergirlswere one of the first roller derby leagues to be founded in the UK in 2007. They disbanded in 2023.

Education[edit]

State schools[edit]

State-funded schooling in the town is provided by a system ofthree-tier schooling.Schools are controlled by either the local authority oracademy trusts.The town is served by eleven first schools for children up to 9 years old, and three middle schools until age 13.

Pupils aged 13–18 can elect to attend the town's two single-sex secondary schools:The Windsor Boys' SchoolandWindsor Girls' School.

Independent schools[edit]

Several independent schools operate in the town, including:

Local media[edit]

Local radio stations are community based radio stations such as Radio Roadhouse[20]and Royal Borough Radio.[21]

The town's local newspaper is theWindsor Express.

Politics[edit]

Further information:Windsor (UK Parliament constituency)

Windsor is part of theRoyal Borough of Windsor and Maidenheadwhich is administered by an electedunitary authority.The mayor is Councillor Neil Knowles,[22]The current Member of Parliament for theWindsor constituency(which includes the surrounding small towns and villages, such asEtonandDatchet) isAdam Afriyie(Conservative), who was first elected at the2005 General Election.Afriyie is notable for being the first black Conservative Member of Parliament in theHouse of Commons.In 2012 the council reintroduced the role oftown crierto the borough. The previous town crier had retired in 1892 and for 120 years the post remained vacant. The current crier is Chris Brown[23]

In 2018 the belongings ofhomeless peoplewere controversially removed and stored for reasons of security.[24]A bus intended to shelter the Windsor homeless was impounded by police.[25]

Twin towns[edit]

Windsor is twinned with:

Notable residents[edit]

Sir Sydney Camm memorial, near Alexandra Gardens

Windsor has had many notable residents.

Notes and references[edit]

  1. ^Local government legislation in the 1970s referred to the borough as "New Windsor"
  1. ^"The Online Etymology Dictionary".Etymonline.Retrieved3 February2012.
  2. ^"A Brief History of Windsor".Thamesweb.co.uk.Retrieved3 February2012.
  3. ^abSouth S.R.,The Book of Windsor,Barracuda Books, 1977.ISBN0-86023-038-4
  4. ^"Treaty of Windsor".britanicca.
  5. ^"Annals of Tigernach".Encyclopedia of the Medieval Chronicle.doi:10.1163/9789004184640_emc_sim_00190.
  6. ^"Cumberland Lodge: A History".Archived fromthe originalon 21 November 2011.
  7. ^Stoughton, John (1862).Windsor: A History and Description of the Castle and the Town.Ward. pp. 176–.
  8. ^abcde"St John the Baptist Windsor – History".Official website.Retrieved23 July2017.
  9. ^"New Windsor: All Saints, Windsor".A Church Near You.
  10. ^Jedrzejewski, J. (18 December 1995).Thomas Hardy and the Church.Springer.ISBN9780230378278– via Google Books.
  11. ^Flood, Alison (16 August 2016)."Thomas Hardy altarpiece discovered in Windsor church".The Guardian.Retrieved17 August2016.
  12. ^"Legendary author Thomas Hardy's lost contribution to Windsor church uncovered".Royal Borough Observer.
  13. ^Windsor On Ice 2012 | HomeArchived25 December 2012 at theWayback Machine.Windsoronice. Retrieved on 17 July 2013.
  14. ^Windsor Royal StationArchived19 January 2021 at theWayback Machinewindsorroyalstation.co.uk
  15. ^King Edward CourtArchived11 August 2017 at theWayback Machinewindsor-shopping.co.uk
  16. ^"The Railways at Windsor – The Royal Windsor Web Site History Zone".thamesweb.co.uk.Retrieved31 May2015.
  17. ^"CONFIRMED: Two bus companies step up to save axed services in Slough and Windsor".Royal Borough Observer.12 January 2018.Retrieved21 January2019.
  18. ^"National Public Transport Information – from traveline SE & anglia".travelinesoutheast.org.uk.
  19. ^"Coach Park".rbwm.gov.uk.Retrieved24 January2021.
  20. ^https:// radioroadhouseuk /
  21. ^"Royal Borough Radio".
  22. ^"The Mayoralty | Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead".
  23. ^Windsor and Maidenhead Town Crier Town Crier Windsor and Maidenhead – Chris BrownArchived4 April 2013 at theWayback Machine.Windsortowncrier. Retrieved on 17 July 2013.
  24. ^"Homeless people in Windsor have belongings removed to be stored ahead of the Royal Wedding".iNews.16 May 2018.Retrieved18 May2018.
  25. ^"Homeless refuge bus seized by police in Windsor ahead of Royal wedding".Evening Standard.London.Retrieved18 May2018.
  26. ^"Bruce Almighty".motorcyclenews.
  27. ^Hall, William (2003).70 not out: the biography of Sir Michael Caine.London: London: John Blake. p. 233.ISBN978-1-904034-82-7.Retrieved13 June2021.
  28. ^"Windsor Hurricane".Sir Sydney Camm Commemorative Society.
  29. ^"RSF RECORDINGS LIMITED".Companies House.27 June 2012.Retrieved17 April2023.
  30. ^"James Haskell".ESPN.Retrieved28 December2020.
  31. ^Case, George (2007).Jimmy Page: magus, musician, man: an unauthorized biography(1st ed.). New York: Hal Leonard.ISBN9781423404071.
  32. ^"Biographical details".Lockerbietruth.Retrieved17 October2022.
  33. ^Cowell, Alan (11 May 2017)."Hugh Thomas, Prodigious Author of Spanish History, Dies at 85".The New York Times.p. B14.Retrieved15 May2017.
  34. ^Roberts, Adam (2019).H G Wells: a literary life.Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing.ISBN9783030264215.
  35. ^"H. G. Wells".open plaques.Retrieved12 January2021.

External links[edit]

Wikivoyage has a travel guide forWindsor and Eton.
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