A Historic Day Out with the Family at Windsor Castle
Posted by tasha | Castle, Half Term, South of England | Posted on July 24th, 2011
There’s plenty to do in Windsor, even though people seem to associate Slough with the boring workplace and dull roundabout featured in The Office, with Ricky Gervais. Slough is only 10 minutes away from Windsor in the car, which means it can be an excellent base of operations for jaunts with the family. With Legoland and Windsor Castle so close together, it’s somewhere you can easily keep the little ones entertained for a few days.
Children and adults alike are bound to be inspired by the view on approach to Windsor Castle. When I took my 5-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son, they couldn’t quite believe their eyes upon site of the castle at the end of the long driveway. When they saw the turrets, I think they thought they were entering a Disney movie. It ticked the box for impressed children. When I explained that the slits in the stone masonry were for archers, who would have aimed their arrows towards attacking troops, their eyes widened. We had several conversations about knights and jousting that day.
The castle is still inhabited by Queen Elizabeth II, when she is not engaged in international appointments or visiting one of her other abodes in the UK. A good portion of the castle is open to the public, and there is a new tower tour – “Conquer the Tower”- where visitors can learn about the Round Tower. Not always ideal for those with height phobias, but definitely fun if you are not affected by vertigo.
Throughout the castle there are the sumptuous decorations you would expect of a royal dwelling. There is a personal art collection to enjoy, but every room is filled with colourful, paintings and enormous wall hangings, as well as many objects from around the world. There have been many trips abroad for Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip to gather elements of different cultures.
Highlight of the trip was something my daughter was highly fascinated by – but I loved too. Lovingly preserved at the castle is Queen Mary’s Dolls House- a perfect recreation of a house in miniature, complete with flushing toilets and working lights. Just fabulous.
Take my advice and take the children for a historic day at Windsor Castle- you won’t regret it! There are plenty of hotels near Windsor Castle you could try.
UKTravelBug writes about UK travel and accommodations like hotels near Slough. Find me on Twitter for more.