Windsor Castle is a remarkable amalgam of many different things. It is one of the state residences of the Queen. It houses a remarkable chapel, bigger than many cathedrals, whose services are attended by both residents of the area and visitors. It's a mediaeval fortress and a royal palace. As a museum, it houses an extensive displays of artworks, furniture, fine china, historic weapons and armour, and many other artifacts from the state collections and the Queen's personal collections. There are also changing exhibitions from time to time. It's a historic monument of great significance, as well as encompassing a capsule view of much of British history. And the architecture of this massive complex is memorable in its own right.
The Castle's website advises visiting before 9:30 or after 11:30. To me that sounded like the perfect excuse to start with lunch! Just outside the gates of the Castle are a few very old buildings, one of which is the so-called "Crooked House", now a restaurant. Just beyond it lies the "Carpenter's Arms", a traditional pub, and that's where I headed.
I was a little surprised when the menu was identical (or nearly so) to the "Crown" in Oxford, but then I remembered having heard that many of the traditional pubs have been bought up and standardized by one or two major companies -- this one being Nicholson's. It doesn't bother me. The pub looks like a pub ought to look, they have cider on tap, and the fish and chips tasted very authentic! On the way out, I stopped to admire the etched-glass window which I had faced in reverse from inside while I was eating.
I then walked around the corner to the Castle entrance, purchased my ticket, passed through security check with no trouble, and headed into the sprawling complex. I had to borrow a rather grainy aerial photo from online to show the true scope of the Castle. The whole area to the right of the central Round Tower is the palace section.
And it is near the Round Tower that you enter the Castle. You walk around the semi-circular walkway between the two walls on the left of the Tower. On the way around you get great views of the military architecture (this is definitely the "fortress" section) as well as the beautiful gardens in the moat at the foot of the hill where the Round Tower stands.
You then proceed out onto the North Terrace, with beautiful views across the town towards the famous and elegant chapel of Eton College across the river.
From the North Terrace you enter the ceremonial wing of the palace, known as the State Apartments. At this point, you are forbidden to take any pictures. It's not hard to understand why. Many of the textiles, paintings, and the like could easily be damaged by repeated exposure to flash photography. A little searching online will soon help you find pictures taken by authorized photographers that will give you the idea.
The lavishness of the room decoration reflects the centuries of work that went into creating these enormous rooms. Painted and carven ceilings, window frames, mirror frames and fireplaces are everywhere. So is gold and gold leaf. The furniture pieces include many that have been brought here from elsewhere for display. So too with the hundreds of paintings. Somehow, I doubt that the king's dressing room was really decorated to the last inch with twice-life-sized portraits of his ancestors!
The enormous collections of historic weapons and armour are all creatively displayed. One corridor is completely lined with glass cases housing numerous china services from many of the world's greatest makers. Marble tables with gilded legs and chairs with gilded frames and velvet cushions abound, as do gilded lampstands and crystal chandeliers. Along the route, there are several photo and video displays which allow you to see the Castle as it appears when being used as the venue for a state banquet or other similar event.
Before touring the State Apartments, you may if you wish visit the display of Queen Mary's Doll House. I have not bothered on either of my two visits, but I have no doubt it is as remarkable as anything else to be seen at Windsor.
You emerge into the courtyard surrounded by the palace complex, and this lets you appreciate its true and full size (the State Apartments occupy only the north side of the palace wings).
You then exit into the Lower Ward of the Castle via the gatehouse beside the Round Tower, and begin walking downhill towards the lower gate and exit. Here I paused to take a selfie (that's an interesting challenge with a SLR camera!) just to prove that I really was there!
And then I took a picture looking down the entire length of the Lower Ward.
Along the way to the exit, on the right side, is the extraordinary and beautiful St. George's Chapel, built in the 1400s at the height of the English Perpendicular Gothic style.
The unusual, almost parabolic, curve at the tops of the nearest windows is repeated inside in an even more flattened form in the beautiful fan-vaulted ceiling. The master mason who carried out this work, Henry Janyns, was indeed an inspired engineer and architect. The vaulting is decorated with heraldic crests known as "bosses" at the intersections of the vaulting tracery. This chapel is the official chapel of the Order of the Garter, and the Knights of the Garter hold their ceremonial church service here every year. Again, I've had to borrow a picture because amateur photography is barred in the Chapel.
From there, I proceeded down the rest of the hill and out the gate, bringing my sightseeing for the day to a close. And with a considerable case of "tourist feet" (again), I headed back to the car and returned to Maidenhead and my hotel.
No comments:
Post a Comment