Windsor Castle

Take a Guided Tour to Windsor Castle with Anne Bartlett, Blue Badge Tour Guide

Windsor Castle: Let me show you a stunning Royal Palace, an official residence of HM The Queen. We can also visit St George's Chapel, home of The Garter Knights. The Noble Order of the Garter is Britain's oldest order of Chivalry, founded by Edward III in 1348.

There is so much to see here, so I recommend at least a three hour visit. There are five main areas to see.

1. The Castle Exhibition.
2. The State Apartments, and all the wonderful works of art that are on display.
3. The Semi-State Rooms (open between October and March) these rooms were created by George IV in the1820's in his flamboyant style for his personal use. They were badly damaged during the fire in 1992 and have been faithfully restored to their original appearance.
4. Changing Exhibitions in The Drawings Gallery which includes paintings, photographs, drawings and other material from the Royal Archives.
5. St George's Chapel, one of the finest ecclesiastical buildings in England.

Also in the castle there's Queen Mary's Dolls House designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and includes the work of 1,500 craftsmen. Each small room is lavishly furnished, and is a great historical record of an ideal 1920's style house. It was built with all the latest mod cons -electric lights and two working lifts as well as a plumbing system complete with water taps and flushing toilets. Everything from the table settings by Royal Doulton, Minton and Wedgewood to the library of books containing works by Charles Dickens, J.M. Barrie, Rudyard Kipling and other famous authors to paintings commission by well known artists. All are exquisitely made on a scale of 1 to 12.

The castle is open throughout the year with the exception of Garter Day, Good Friday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. As the castle is an official residence of HM The Queen opening arrangements can change if there is a Royal occasion taking place.

Contact: anne@tourandexplore.com