Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle in Windsor, Berkshire, is the world's largest occupied castle and the oldest continuously inhabited castle in the world, having served as a royal residence for nearly a thousand years since William the Conqueror built the original motte-and-bailey structure around 1070. The current stone buildings date from successive rebuildings through the 12th to 19th centuries; the most dramatic reconstruction, giving the castle its picturesque skyline of round towers and crenellated walls, was carried out by Jeffry Wyatville for George IV in the 1820s. The castle is divided into the Lower Ward, Middle Ward, and Upper Ward. St George's Chapel in the Lower Ward, begun in 1475 and completed in 1528, is one of England's finest examples of Perpendicular Gothic architecture and serves as the burial place of ten monarchs, including Henry VIII, Charles I, George VI, and Queen Elizabeth II. The State Apartments in the Upper Ward contain one of the finest collections of royal art in the world, with works by Rubens, Rembrandt, and Canaletto alongside historic armour from the Royal Armouries. Queen Mary's Dolls' House, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1:12 scale and completed in 1924, features functioning plumbing, electricity, and running water. The Long Walk — a three-mile avenue of chestnut and plane trees connecting the castle to Windsor Great Park — is freely accessible to all and provides one of the most dramatic approaches to any building in England. Windsor is reached from London Paddington in approximately 30 minutes by train, making it one of the most accessible royal attractions from the capital.