Arcadia England

After Edinburgh, our next excursion is a trip to Windsor Castle. The trip itself has sold out, but if any of you are still interested in visiting the Student Life team will be happy to advise you on getting yourselves there. And, as always, keep your eyes on the facebook group just in case somebody decides to sell.

Before we visit the Queen’s residence, we should try and understand a little bit about it – right?

So, here are seven facts about the Castle that may inspire you to do some of your own research before being blown away by its beauty.

1. Windsor Castle is the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the WORLD.
2. William the Conqueror first chose the site for Windsor Castle. He began building it in 1070 and it was completed 16 years later.
3. It was not initially intended as a royal residence, having been built to secure the approach to London. However, by 1110 Henry I had domestic quarters within the Castle, and by the time of Henry II’s reign the Castle had been converted into a palace.
4. Edward III (r.1237-77) was the first to transform Windsor from a military fortification into a gothic palace.
5. It has been the family home of British kings and queens for nearly 1000 years, and it is still an official residence of Her Majesty The Queen.
6. On 20^th November 1992 a fire erupted in Queen Victoria’s chael. The fire went on to destroy the Grand Reception Room, the State Dining Room and the Crimson Drawing Room as well as parts of St George’s Hall.
7. Her Majesty The Queen was brought up in Windsor and every Christmas she performed a pantomime with her sister in the Waterloo Chamber.