Classic England in the Cotswolds

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Tuesday, 22 September 2015 - Traveled from the Cotswolds to London, visited the historic Windsor Castle and its extensive grounds while learning about its association with the British royal family, walked along the tree-lined Long Walk, and soaked up views of grand state apartments and gardens before continuing into the city for the evening.

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A short day of travel to London - not downtown but in the suburbs. On our way we stopped at Windsor Castle.

Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. The castle is notable for its long association with the English and later British royal family and also for its architecture. The original castle was built in the 11th century after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I, it has been used by succeeding monarchs and is the longest-occupied palace in Europe. The castle's lavish, early 19th-century State Apartments are fantastic.
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Windsor Castle survived the tumultuous period of the English Civil War, when it was used as a military headquarters for Parliamentary forces and a prison for Charles I. During the Restoration, Charles II rebuilt much of Windsor Castle with the help of architect Hugh May, creating a set of extravagant, Baroque interiors that are still admired. After a period of neglect during the 18th century, George III and George IV renovated and rebuilt Charles II's palace at colossal expense, producing the current design of the State Apartments, full of Rococo, Gothic, and Baroque furnishings
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Victoria made minor changes to the castle, which became the center for royal entertainment for much of her reign. Windsor Castle was used as a refuge for the royal family during the Luftwaffe bombing campaigns of the Second World War, and survived a fire in 1992. It is a popular tourist attraction, a venue for hosting state visits, and the preferred weekend home of Elizabeth II.
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More than 500 people live and work in Windsor Castle - here is one of them on guard duty.
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The Long Walk, a double-lined avenue of trees, runs for 2.65 miles south of the castle, and is 240 ft wide. The original 17th-century elms were replaced with alternating chestnut and plane trees. The impact of Dutch elm disease led to large-scale replanting after 1945.
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Castle tower
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Guards moving on the castle grounds from post to post -
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Castle garden
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Castle tower and garden
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Queen Elizabeth II loves the Corgi so it is a favorite in the gift shop
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Detail of one of the carvings on the castle wall
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Garden statue - looks like St George
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St George's Chapel is the spiritual home of the Order of the Knights of the Garter and dates from the late 15th and early 16th century, designed in the Perpendicular Gothic style. The ornate wooden choir stalls are of 15th-century design, having been restored and extended by Henry Emlyn at the end of the 18th century, and are decorated with a unique set of brass plates showing the arms of the Knights of the Garter over the last six centuries
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On the west side, the chapel has a grand Victorian door and staircase, used on ceremonial occasions. The east stained-glass window is Victorian, and the oriel window to the north side of it was built by Henry VIII for Catherine of Aragon. The vault in front of the altar houses the remains of Henry VIII, Jane Seymour, and Charles I, with Edward IV buried nearby.
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A long day being a tourist in England. We stopped at a Starbucks for some energy, and this is the view from the Starbucks entrance of the castle wall.
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