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Windsor Short Walk - Castle to Theatre
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| Click here for a Dynamic Map of the Walk |
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1
Stand next to Queen Victoria's Statue
on Castle Hill and look with the Monarch down Peascod Street. To your
right is the entrance to Windsor Central Station.
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2
Walk onto the pavement under the
Castle walls opposite Windsor Central Station and look into the
concourse. You are on Thames Street.
The railway arrived here from Slough in 1849. The station was built
later. The line crosses Brunel's Bowstring
Bridge and passes in sight
of Eton College.
The engine used to
pull the Royal Train is preserved
at the station. The working
line is now relegated to a corner of the original concourse.
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3
Behind you and to the right is the
Curfew Tower. Housed the
dungeons and displayed a gibbet. Now has the pepper pot roof and clock.
However the Round Tower most often symbolises Windsor. It's the tower
that flies the
Royal standard when the Queen is here. The castle is the worlds oldest
continually occupied royal residence.
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4 As
you move down Thames Street you may notice iron bars set into the curb.
These inserts were used as wheel stops preventing carriages rolling
backwards down the hill that skirts the Castle.
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5 Further
down Thames Street opposite you is the Theatre Royal. This building
dates from 1910. It replaced the original which burnt down in 1908.
Windsor has had its own theatre company at least from the time of
George III around 1760. However at that time it struggled to survive
despite his patronage. The modern
theatre is popular with the Royal Family and the Queen Mother took a
particular interest in productions.
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6 Staying
under the castle wall continue to Prince Christian Victor's Memorial
at the foot of Thames Street. The inscription below the statue shows 15
medals awarded the Prince. These are described
here.
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7 Follow
Thames Street over River Street at the pedestrian crossing towards the
river. Sir
Christopher
Wren (1632-1723) built the house to your left which is now a Grade2
listed building. It was constructed in
1676 as a family home. Wren was the son of the Dean of Windsor and
served
as Member of Parliament for Old Windsor - 1685 to 1688 and 1702 to
1705.
He was knighted in 1673. |
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8 A
short distance further is Windsor Town
Bridge. Two
plaques are installed on the bridge. These show the town's coat of
arms and commemorate the history of the bridge. The first bridge here
was made in the C13th. At the other side of the bridge is the Millennium Lens.
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9 From
the bridge you can see the boat houses used by Eton College to store
and
maintain their sculls. The College has also an olympic size lake based
rowing course.
Return the way you came re-crossing River Street, but now following the
pavement opposite the Castle along Thames Street.
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10
Opposite the Curfew Tower is Boots Passage. This is recognisable by the
bust of King Edward VII over the entrance. Named after Jesse Boot or
rather Boots the Chemist which owned a shop at 5-16 Thames Street
advertising Boots as the largest retail chemist in the world
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11 Further
up Thames Street is the Curfew
Yard. Dating from 1620 this building now a shop is said to have been
used to by Oliver Cromwell in 1648 to sign the death warrant of Charles
I. A tunnel once led from the basement of this shop to the Curfew
Tower.
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12 Pass
across the top of Peascod
Street. A main shopping street in Windsor with a name derived from 'pea
field'. Peas were a staple food in medieval times.
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13 This
plaque is shown within the entrance of the
building, formerly a drapers shop where Wells served for several
years. The apprenticeship of Kipps in Well's novel of the same name was
based on his experiences here.
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14 Market
Cross House stands adjacent to Queen Charlotte Street the shortest in
England at 52 feet. The house dates probably from 1687 and the town
market was once held in the surrounding streets. Queen Charlotte's
statue stands in the adjacent wall of the Guildhall.
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15 The
Guildhall was the scene recently of the civil marriage of Charles and
Cammilla. It was built from 1687-89 when it was completed by Sir
Christopher Wren. The covered area was the Corn Exchange. Wren was
instructed to add the 4 internal pillars by a Council doubtful of his
calculations about the weight of the building. Wren proved his point by
stopping the columns short of the roof. Here are 2 further images
showing the Guildhall at night and the aspect facing Windsor Castle.
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16 Pass
down the side of the Guildhall to Church St and Nell Gwynne's House
built 1640. This is another house which had a cellar tunnel to the
Castle. This tunnel features in the stories of the love tryst between
Charles II and Nell Gwynne when the King used it to visit his mistress.
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17 Next
to Nell Gwynne's House is the former Old
Kings Head dating from 1525. A plaque above the door states William
Shakespeare lived & wrote The Merrie Wives of Windsor there. A copy
of the
warrant for the execution of Charles I is shown also outside the inn. |
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18 Continue
along Church St to the Henry
VIII Gate on Castle Hill. This is the main entrance to the Castle.
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19 Look
back down Church Street and
see the tower of Windsor's Parish
Church. The Highlander formerly a coach house can be seen and
next
to it the station for the fire pump. This is now a restaurant
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20 George
IV Gate is situated opposite the Long Walk which reaches the Copper
Horse statue. This is visible from the Castle. Proceed along St Albans
Street from
Henry VIII Gate and then along Park Street to the Long Walk. |
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