St George's Hall
A timber roof rebuilt after the 1992 fire above the state banquet table that runs the full length of the room.
Diliff — CC BY 2.5 · ThePerfidiousAlbion — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bmzuckerman — CC BY 4.0 · RayTaiPing — CC BY-SA 4.0
If the Royal Standard is flying from the Round Tower, King Charles III is spending the weekend a floor or two above your head. That is what separates Windsor from every European castle that long ago became a museum: nearly a thousand years after William the Conqueror founded it in the years after 1066, it is still a lived-in home, and the oldest and largest occupied castle on earth. The same fact cuts both ways - it can shut at short notice for a state visit or royal occasion, so check the official site before boarding the train. One ticket opens three quite different worlds. First the State Apartments: the Waterloo Chamber hung with vast portraits, St George's Hall with its timber roof rebuilt after the 1992 fire, where state banquets are laid along one impossibly long table, and the gilded Grand Reception Room. Second, Queen Mary's Dolls' House, which is no toy but a 1:12 palace with running water and working electricity, and tends to enchant adults more than children. Third, the Gothic St George's Chapel, where Queen Elizabeth II is buried - closed to visitors on Sundays for services, so avoid Sunday if the chapel matters to you. The free multimedia guide comes in nine languages - English, French, Spanish and others, but not Arabic - and it makes up for the near-total absence of labels inside the rooms. The Semi-State Rooms normally open only in the winter season, roughly October to March. The sums are simple: adults pay GBP 32 booked online in advance against GBP 36 on the day, children aged 5-17 GBP 16, under-fives free. Entry is by timed slot, and in summer and on weekends the morning slots sell out days ahead, so book early and take the first 10:00 slot to beat the coach parties from London. Have your ticket stamped on the way out and it becomes a free one-year pass - a generous gift for families staying in London for weeks. Changing the Guard usually happens inside the castle at 11:00 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, weather permitting. Getting here from London is easy: a direct train from Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside takes about 55 minutes, or go from Paddington with a change at Slough to Windsor & Eton Central in 35 to 40 minutes; both stations sit five to ten minutes' uphill walk below the walls. For families: there are plenty of cobbles and stairs, pushchairs are left at the entrance to the State Apartments, and photography is banned inside the rooms and the chapel. The castle opens Thursday to Monday year-round, closed Tuesday and Wednesday, adding Tuesdays in July, August and September. In winter the doors close at 16:15 with last entry at 15:00, so make it a morning trip. Afterwards give an hour to the Long Walk in the Great Park - the view of the castle from there beats any photograph you were not allowed to take inside.
A timber roof rebuilt after the 1992 fire above the state banquet table that runs the full length of the room.
A 1:12 palace with running water and working electricity that captivates adults before children.
Resting place of Queen Elizabeth II and ten other monarchs, closed to visitors on Sundays.
Castle Hill, Windsor SL4 1NJ
St George's Chapel, WindsorA slab of black marble barely two metres long, carrying nothing but names and da2 minutes walk4.7
Crooked House of WindsorA three-storey house that leans off its own vertical as though frozen mid-collap3 minutes walk4.2
Windsor GuildhallOn the ground floor of this small brick-and-stone building, a few steps from Win3 minutes walk4.5
The Long Walk, WindsorA dead-straight line roughly four kilometres long, from the gate of Windsor Cast7 minutes walk4.9They are different experiences: the Tower is a fortress with a bloody history and the Crown Jewels, while Windsor is a working royal palace whose State Apartments are far grander. With children under ten the Tower entertains more, with its guards and ravens; Windsor needs half a day including the train, and is not worth the trip if you would only wander the outer precincts or if the State Apartments happen to be closed that day. Add the train and a stroll along the Long Walk and it becomes a relaxed full day away from London's noise.
In theory yes at GBP 36, but in July, August and on weekends the timed slots frequently sell out and you may end up in a long security queue with nothing to show for it. Book on rct.uk a few days ahead at GBP 32 and take the 10:00 slot.