Windsor Castle - England

Windsor Castle, in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, is the largest inhabited castle in the world and, dating back to the time of William the Conqueror, is the oldest in continuous occupation.The castle's floor area is approximately 484,000 square feet (44,965 square metres).

I recently found out that the biggest house in the world is Windsor Castle, located in England, Berkshire. The castle’s floor area is approximately 484,000 square feet (about 45,000 square metres). The castle, after centuries of alterations, contains about 1,000 rooms and occupies 13 acres of land. Who would have guessed? I’ve visited the amazing building a few times on school trips when I was younger. I evidently didn’t pay any attention to the tour guide- but who does at that age? School trips were always about having a reason to escape the school grounds for the day and being able express ourselves in our hip, baggy clothes. That’s probably why I didn’t realise castles were considered as “houses”. I just thought castles were castles and houses were houses. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The actual definition of “house” is as follows: House: a building in which people live; residence for human beings. People live in castles, so it looks like a castle, by definition, is a “house”, and in that case, Windsor Castle is one mother of a house.

Windsor Castle Quick Facts

Windsor Castle is the English county of Berkshire Windsor Castle is the largest inhabited castle (house) in the world

The Queen is often in residence at Windsor Castle and this is indicated by the Royal Standard flying over the Round Tower.

When the Queen is not in residence the Union Jack flag flies in its place.

The castle’s floor area is approximately 484,000 square feet (about 45,000 square metres) Most of the Kings and Queens of England have had a direct influence on the construction and evolution of the castle, which has been their garrison fortress, home, official palace, and sometimes their prison Windsor is the only royal castle that has been in continuous occupation since the Middle Ages Windsor was on of the first sites chosen by William the Conqueror for the series of fortifications built to protect his new conquest after 1066

The majority of the castle was designed by an architect, Jeffry Wyatville in 1824.

The work took 12 years to complete and included a complete remodeling of the Upper Ward, private apartments, Round Tower, and the exterior facade of the South Wing The early castle was almost certainly built of wood.

It remained a wood and earth structure until King Henry I began to convert the castle to stone On 20 November 1992, a fire began in the Queen’s private chapel.

The fire raged for 15 hours until it had destroyed nine of the principal state rooms. One-fifth of the floor space of the castle was damaged -an area of 9,000 square metres.

The restoration programme was not complete until 1997; 70% of it funded by the decision to open to the public for the first time the state rooms of Buckingham Palace.

The total cost of repairing the damage was £37 million.

restoration was undertaken at no additional cost to the British taxpayer. Windsor Castle is one of three official residences of The Queen and has been home to the Sovereign for over 900 years. The castle, after centuries of alterations, contains about 1,000 rooms and occupies 13 acres of land.

Windsor castle contains many dungeons which were occupied by many famous prisoners.

Some of the famous prisoners of Windsor Castle are as follows: 1265 - The Lord Mayor, called FitzThomas, 1346 - King John II of France and King David II of Scotland, 1413 - The Earl of March and Prince James (later James I) of Scotland, 1546 - The poet, the Earl of Surrey, 1647 - King Charles I.

The original functions of Windsor Castle were to act as a royal power base, to overawe and frighten the indigenous population and to provide a retreat for the Royal family in times of civil disorder.

It is now one of three a luxury residences to Queen Elizabeth II.

A: The round tower
B: The Upper Ward, The Quadrangle (as this courtyard is known)
C: The State Apartments
D: Private Apartments, overlooking the East terrace
E: South Wing, overlooking The Long Walk
F: Lower Ward
G: St George’s Chapel
H: Horseshoe Cloister
K: King Henry VIII Gate (principal entrance)
L: The Long Walk
M: Norman Gate
N: North Terrace
O: Edward III Tower
T: The Curfew Tower

Windsor Castle is the largest inhabited castle in the world and the oldest in continuous occupation. The enormous castle was begun by William the Conqueror on a typical Norman motte and bailey plan. William chose a commanding spot for his fortress, on a high (100ft) cliff overlooking the Thames River. He built up a mound of earth and erected a wooden pallisade atop the mound, or motte.