Visiting Windsor Castle: History, Highlights and Practical Guide

Windsor Castle is one of those places that feels familiar before you arrive. Its Round Tower, battlements and royal ceremonies appear constantly in photographs and television coverage, yet seeing the complex rising above the town gives a much stronger sense of its scale.

I visited Windsor and took the photographs in this article during the trip. The castle remains a working royal residence, but it is also a major historic attraction open to the public on selected days. That combination makes the experience different from visiting an abandoned fortress or a country house preserved only as a museum.

Where is Windsor Castle?

Windsor Castle stands in the centre of Windsor, Berkshire, above the River Thames. The visitor entrance is on Castle Hill, postcode SL4 1NJ.

The castle is easy to reach from London by train, and Windsor’s shops, restaurants and riverfront are within walking distance. There is no visitor parking inside the castle, so drivers need to use public car parks in the town.

Its hilltop location was chosen for practical reasons. From here, the original Norman fortress could protect the western approach to London while remaining close to the Thames and a royal hunting forest.

My visit to Windsor Castle

The exterior creates the first impression: high walls, gates, towers and long stone façades dominate the centre of Windsor. Once inside, the site becomes easier to understand as three connected areas—the Lower Ward, Middle Ward and Upper Ward—rather than one enormous building.

The experience also changes according to the day’s access. Windsor is a working palace, so rooms can close for ceremonies, maintenance or official events. This makes checking the current visitor information especially important.

I used my Sony A7R II for the photographs shown here. Its resolution suited the detailed stonework and distant architectural views, particularly when photographing the castle from public areas outside the walls.

Why Windsor Castle is historically important

Windsor is described by the Royal Collection Trust as the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world. It has been connected with British monarchs for almost a thousand years and continues to host royal, ceremonial and state occasions.

William the Conqueror selected the site and began construction around 1070. The first castle was a motte-and-bailey fortification built mainly from timber. It formed part of a defensive ring around London and was completed approximately sixteen years later.

Henry I was the first monarch known to use Windsor as a royal residence. Later kings replaced timber defences with stone and expanded the accommodation, gradually turning a military stronghold into a palace as well as a fortress.

From medieval fortress to royal palace

Henry II rebuilt substantial parts of Windsor in stone during the twelfth century. Henry III created more comfortable royal apartments in the thirteenth century, while Edward III transformed the castle on a much greater scale during the fourteenth.

Edward III was born at Windsor and founded the Order of the Garter in 1348. His rebuilding campaign created an ambitious royal palace within the medieval defences and strengthened Windsor’s association with ceremony and monarchy.

St George’s Chapel was begun under Edward IV in 1475. Its construction continued over several reigns, producing one of the finest examples of Perpendicular Gothic architecture in Britain.

The Tudors used Windsor for court life, diplomacy and hunting. Henry VIII invested in the castle and was later buried in St George’s Chapel. Elizabeth I made repairs and used Windsor during periods of political uncertainty as well as for royal entertainment.

Civil War, Restoration and Georgian transformation

During the English Civil War, Parliamentary forces occupied Windsor Castle. Charles I was held there before his execution in 1649 and was buried in St George’s Chapel afterward.

Following the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, Charles II modernised the State Apartments. He wanted interiors that could compete with the great European courts, and the castle became more strongly associated with display and royal ceremony.

George III spent considerable time at Windsor, but it was George IV who gave the castle much of its present visual character. Working with architect Jeffry Wyatville during the nineteenth century, he remodelled the skyline, raised the Round Tower and created grand interiors suitable for a modern royal palace.

Queen Victoria made Windsor one of the central residences of her reign. After Prince Albert died there in 1861, the castle became closely associated with her long period of mourning, although it continued to serve official purposes.

Windsor Castle today

During the Second World War, the Royal Family used Windsor as a safer residence for the young Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. Windows were blacked out and important works were protected, while Buckingham Palace remained the more visible centre of the monarchy.

Queen Elizabeth II used Windsor extensively throughout her reign, both as a private home and a setting for official duties. She spent much of her later life there and was buried in the King George VI Memorial Chapel within St George’s Chapel in 2022.

Today Windsor Castle remains an official residence of King Charles III. The State Apartments continue to be used for investitures, receptions and ceremonial occasions. Visitors are therefore entering an active royal complex rather than a building whose history has ended.

The State Apartments

The State Apartments are among the main reasons to visit. These ceremonial rooms contain furniture, paintings and decorative art from the Royal Collection, with works associated with artists such as Rubens, Van Dyck and Canaletto.

Some rooms are used for formal events, while others illustrate how successive monarchs adapted the castle. The route can vary, and additional areas sometimes open at particular times of year.

The Semi-State Rooms created for George IV are especially elaborate. When available, they reveal a more intimate but still extremely luxurious side of the palace. Access is seasonal, so they should never be assumed to form part of every ticket.

Visitors should allow time to look beyond the scale of the rooms. Ceilings, carved details, paintings and carefully arranged furniture explain how architecture and art work together to project royal authority.

St George’s Chapel

St George’s Chapel occupies the Lower Ward and is both a place of worship and the spiritual home of the Order of the Garter. Its fan vaulting, stained glass, carved stalls and royal monuments make it one of the most important buildings within the castle.

The chapel contains the tombs of numerous monarchs, including Henry VIII, Charles I, George V, George VI and Queen Elizabeth II. It should be treated as an active church rather than simply another exhibition space.

Visitor access is limited by services and opening arrangements. The chapel is normally closed to sightseeing on Sundays, although worshippers may attend services. It also closes earlier than the main castle on visiting days, so leaving it until the end can mean missing it.

The Round Tower and the three wards

The Round Tower rises from the Norman motte in the Middle Ward and is Windsor’s most recognisable landmark. Despite its name, its plan is not a perfect circle. George IV’s alterations increased its height and helped create the dramatic skyline seen today.

The tower is not part of the standard visitor route, but its position makes it a useful reference point. The Lower Ward contains St George’s Chapel and several residences, while the Upper Ward includes the State Apartments and the private royal area around the Quadrangle.

Understanding this layout makes the visit less confusing. Windsor Castle developed over many centuries, so its appearance is the result of repeated rebuilding rather than one unified design.

The 1992 fire

On 20 November 1992, a faulty spotlight ignited a curtain in Queen Victoria’s Private Chapel. The fire spread rapidly and burned for fifteen hours.

A total of 115 rooms were destroyed or damaged, including nine State Rooms. Staff and emergency teams removed important works of art from the fire’s path, and only two major works were lost.

The restoration combined historical reconstruction with carefully designed modern work. St George’s Hall received a new hammer-beam roof built from English oak, while the former chapel area became the Lantern Lobby. The project was formally completed on 20 November 1997, exactly five years after the fire.

The restored rooms are not merely replacements. They form another chapter in Windsor’s long pattern of destruction, adaptation and renewal.

Changing the Guard

The guard ceremony is one of Windsor’s best-known traditions, but it does not take place every day. Dates, times and routes can change because of weather, operational requirements or royal events.

When scheduled, the ceremony may be seen inside the castle by ticket holders, while parts of the procession can also be visible in Windsor’s streets. Anyone visiting specifically for the guard should check the official calendar rather than relying on a fixed weekly timetable.

Photography at Windsor Castle

Photography is generally possible in outdoor visitor areas, making the courtyards, walls and distant views the main opportunities once inside. Photography and filming are not permitted inside the State Apartments or St George’s Chapel.

That restriction changes how I would plan the visual story. Use the exterior to show scale and context: the Round Tower above the walls, the approach through Windsor, gateways, flags and architectural details visible from public areas.

Longer focal lengths can isolate towers and carvings without distorting the building, while wider compositions show how the castle dominates the town. Early or later light is particularly useful when photographing exterior stonework from outside the visitor route.

For more ideas on building a varied series rather than collecting disconnected snapshots, see my guide to getting stronger travel photographs.

Drone flying around Windsor Castle is heavily restricted and should never be attempted without the appropriate legal authority and permissions. The surrounding area is sensitive for both aviation and security reasons.

Opening times, tickets and practical planning

Windsor Castle is open to visitors throughout the year, but it is not open every day and may close at short notice for official reasons. Admission times, ticket prices and the rooms included can also change.

Check the official Royal Collection Trust page for Windsor Castle before travelling. Buying a timed ticket in advance is sensible, especially during weekends, school holidays and the summer season.

Visitors pass through airport-style security. Large luggage may be refused if it cannot pass through the scanner, and bags must remain with their owners. Comfortable footwear is useful because the route involves walking, inclines and historic surfaces.

There are accessible arrangements and concessionary access-companion tickets, but visitors with particular mobility requirements should consult the detailed official access guide in advance.

Only registered assistance dogs are normally admitted. Ordinary pet dogs should not be brought to the castle.

How long should you allow?

Allow between two and three hours for the main route. A longer visit makes sense if the Semi-State Rooms are open, you want to study the Royal Collection carefully or you plan to attend a service at St George’s Chapel.

Arrive early enough to clear security without rushing. If seeing the chapel matters to you, visit it before its earlier closing time rather than leaving it until the end.

Windsor town, the Thames and the Long Walk can easily extend the day. The castle visit works best as the central part of a broader exploration rather than a hurried stop between trains.

What else can you visit nearby?

The Long Walk offers the classic distant view back towards the castle. Windsor town and the riverside are immediately accessible, while Eton lies across the Thames.

For a different kind of historic residence, see my photographs and guide from Bolsover Castle. Bolsover was designed largely for display and entertainment, while Windsor evolved continuously as both fortress and working royal palace.

You can find more first-hand visits and original photographs in the GottaPics travel blog.

Is Windsor Castle worth visiting?

Yes. Windsor Castle is worth visiting for more than its royal association. It brings together Norman defensive planning, medieval worship, Georgian interiors, major works of art and a continuing ceremonial role.

The main limitations are the crowds, security process, restrictions on interior photography and the possibility of temporary closures. Planning around those points makes the visit considerably better.

Final thoughts

Windsor Castle is not a monument belonging to a single century. Nearly every generation has altered it, and its continued use is a large part of its importance.

My visit showed me a place that is simultaneously fortress, palace, church, art collection and working royal residence. Even when some rooms are unavailable, the scale of the site and the visible layers of history make Windsor one of Britain’s most significant historic destinations.