Windsor Castle as seen from the Thames River; Berkshire, England. This well-known royal residence dates to the time of William the Conqueror. Click here to enlarge this image.
Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world, is a monumental testament to nearly a millennium of evolving architectural styles. Its construction began in the 11th century under William the Conqueror, establishing the original motte-and-bailey fortification with a central timber keep on the earth mound still seen today. Successive monarchs transformed it from a strategic stronghold into a palatial royal residence.
The castle's architecture is a profound historical record. The formidable, curtain-walled Lower Ward contrasts with the more domestic Upper Ward, arranged around a central quadrangle. The iconic Round Tower, rebuilt in stone by Henry II, crowns the original motte.
A pivotal transformation occurred in the 14th century under Edward III, who created the Gothic masterpiece of St. George's Chapel—a soaring perpendicular marvel that remains a centrepiece.
The castle's state apartments were later redesigned in Baroque and Rococo styles after a fire in 1992, which prompted a massive, historically sensitive restoration. The result is a unique palimpsest: a working fortress, a Gothic ecclesiastical complex, and a sumptuous royal palace, all harmonised within its sweeping walls, embodying the continual adaptation of British monarchy across the ages.
|
