Windsor Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Windesores

In the civil parish of Windsor.
In the historic county of Berkshire (Modern Authority of Windsor & Maidenhead, 1974 county of Berkshire).

England's largest castle and a royal palace, covering some 13 acres. The castle dates back to William the Conqueror but the first stone buildings were erected by Henry II between 1165 and 1179. The round keep stands on an artificial motte and there are baileys known as the Lower, Middle and Upper Wards. Continuos additions since this time with particular activity following the foundation of the Order of the Garter by Edward III in 1348, the ensuing St George's Chapel of 1475-1511; and extensive rebuilding for Charles II by Hugh May. The present aspect of the Castle largely results from the alterations, additions and restorations carried out by James Wyatt and Sir Jeffry Wyatville circa 1800 to 1830, with further work carried out by Blore and Salvin in Queen Victoria's reign. Dominant cliff-top setting. The circular 'theatre' in the inner ward, of which some remnants were found by Time Team, was a short lived feature. The work of Edward III was extensive and complex but remarkably restrained without much 'fussy' detail, apparently an esthetic choice by the king.

This site has been described as a;
Timber Castle
Masonry Castle
Palace.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Major remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
This site is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 40355)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SU96967700

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 251018

• Web site links
  • http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page574.asp
    http://www.theheritagetrail.co.uk/castles/windsor%20castle.htm
    http://www.britannia.com/history/berks/windcast.html
    http://www.castlexplorer.co.uk/england/windsor/windsor.php
    http://www.berkshirehistory.com/castles/windsor_cast.html
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_south/175/windsorcastle.htm
    http://www.touruk.co.uk/castles/castle_Windsor.htm
    http://viewfinder.english-heritage.org.uk/search/easy_results.asp?index=1&main_query=windsor%20castle
    http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/B/big_royal_dig/windsor/windsor_about.html
• Books
  • Brindle, S., Priestly, S. and Kerr, B., [forthcoming], A history of Windsor Castle
    Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p192-208
    Wilson, C., 2002, 'The Royal Lodgings of Edward III at Windsor Castle: Form, Function and Representation' in Keen, L. and Scarff, E. (eds), Windsor, Medieval Archaeology, Art and Architecture of the Thames Valley (British Archaeological Association Conference Transactions 25) p15-94
    Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of The Thames Valley and The Chilterns (Malvern) p22-31
    Keevill, Graham D., 2000, Medieval Palaces, An Archaeology (Stroud; Tempus) p16, 18, 27-9, 34, 40, 48-9, 53-4, 58, 73, 77, 83, 102-5, 113, 124-5, 127, 135, 141-2, 145-6, 151, 160
    Brindle, S. and Kerr, B., 1997, Windsor Revealed: New Light on the History of the Castle (London: English Heritage)
    Nicolson, Adam, 1997, Restoration: the rebuilding of Windsor Castle
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p6-8
    Thurley, Simon, 1993, The Royal Palaces of Tudor England (Yale University Press)
    Girouard, Mark, 1993, Windsor: The Most Romantic Castle (Hodder and Stoughton)
    James, T.B., 1990, The Palaces of Medieval England (London; Seaby)
    Furtado, Peter et al (eds), 1988, Ordnance Survey guide to castles in Britain  (London) p22
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p12
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p319-20
    Colvin, H.M., Ransome, D.R. and Summerson, John, 1975, The history of the King's Works Vol3: 1485-1660 (part 1) p302-333
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Knowles, David and Hadcock, R Neville, 1971, Medieval religious houses in England and Wales (Longman) p405
    Pevsner, N., 1966, Buildings of England: Berkshire (London) p266-92
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p864-888
    Toy, Sidney, 1953, The Castles of Great Britain (Heinemann) p46-9
    Oman, Charles W.C., 1926, Castles (1978 edn Beetham House: New York) p29-37
    Page, Wm and Ditchfield, P.H. (eds), 1923, VCH Berkshire Vol3 p5-56 http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=43178
    Hope, W.H.St John, 1913, Windsor Castle an Architectual History (London, Country Life) [King writes "Beside this monumental work everything else must appear insignificant"]
    Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p236-9
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Page, Wm and Ditchfield, P.H. (eds), 1906, VCH Berkshire Vol1 p267-8
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p180-90
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol2 (London) p40
    Lysons, D. and S., 1806, Magna Britannia Vol1 p1 p416-32
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol1 p7
• Journal Articles
  • Platt, Steve, 2006-7, 'Time Team at Windsor' Castle Studies Group Journal Vol20 p168-70 [brief report of Time Team Excavation]
    Baker, P., 2006, 'Monarchs and meals: food provisioning and consumption at Windsor Castle' The Archaeologist Vol59 p26-7
    Harfield, C.G., 1991, 'A Hand-list of Castles Recorded in the Domesday Book' English Historical Review Vol106
    Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' Archaeological Journal Vol143 p320
    Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p249-280]
    Brown, R. Allen, 1955, 'Royal Castle-building in England 1154-1216' English Historical Review Vol70 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press)] pp19-64
    Wickham-Legg, L.G., 1938, 'Windsor Castle, New College, Oxford, and Winchester College: A Study in the Development of Planning by William Wykeham' Journal of the British Archaeological Association (3ser) Vol3 p83-95
    Knoop, D., and Jones, G.P., 1937, The impressment of masons for Windsor Castle, 1360 - 1363. Economic History 3(12), 350 - 361
• Guidebooks
  • Robinson, John Martin, 1996, Royal palaces. Windsor Castle: a short history
    Robinson, John Martin, 1995, Windsor Castle Offical Guide (Royal Collection Enterprises)
    Morshead, Owen, 1951, Windsor Castle (London)
    March, Wm, 1936, Offical guide to Windsor Castle the Town and neighbourhood of Windsor (Windsor: Oxley and Son)
    Goddard, n.d., Windsor , the castle of our King (London)
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • The Anglo-saxon Chronicle; Laud Chronicle AD1095
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/barkseng.html#berks14]
• Other sources and unpublished works (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
  • Brindle, Steven, 2006 Sept 30, 'Edward III and the Upper Ward at Windsor - Plan, Function and Representation' paper given at Castle Studies Group autumn conference, The Society of Antiquaries, Burlington House, London.
    Channel 4 TV, 28 August 2006, Time Team TV Programme