I’ve easily visited over a hundred castles in Scotland over the years, but I’d never been to Windsor Castle, the largest inhabited castle in the world. This summer I resolved to finally venture to the Queen’s favourite weekend retreat and soon discovered that there is plenty more to enjoy in and around what is a glorious Royal burgh.
Windsor is very much known for its landmark castle and indeed it has long dominated the surrounding lands. It was not until the coming of the railway from London in the mid nineteenth century that the growth of the town itself really took off. Today it’s a very popular place, but still retains plenty of the charm of village life, with river views and walks always on hand.
Our first base was at Stoke Place (www.stokeplace.co.uk), a palatial dame that reclines in spacious grounds just 15 minutes from Windsor’s centre. My two wee girls felt like royalty in our massive room and parading around the lavish public spaces. They lay on decent breakfasts and boast an award-winning restaurant so it makes a great bolthole for exploring the area if you want to avoid the Windsor crowds.
We found plenty of those crowds on our visit to the castle – it’s easy to see why people flock here from all over the world. The castle’s scale is epic and its history unparalleled. A fortification has stood here for around a millennia, dating back to the days when William the Conqueror was consolidating his power base in England. He chose his site well, tucked on a bluff overlooking the lifeblood River Thames.
The vaulting walls are imposing and that grandeur and sense of awe continues when you delve inside. We were lucky to catch the Changing of the Guard – make sure you time your visit around this striking display of pomp and ceremony.
I could have spent all day exploring the grandiose chapels and regal rooms, while my girls were very focussed on one place – the Queen Anne Dolls House. This massive dolls house has to be one of the biggest in the world and is easily the most lavish I’ve seen anywhere. It really boggled the minds of my girls. It is even graced with its own electricity and flushing toilet!
Pushing beyond Windsor Castle we ambled along a section of the Queen’s Walkway. Set up to mark the Queen becoming Britain’s longest reigning monarch, it stretches for 6.373km to mark 63 years, 7 months and 3 days of her reign. It also links together 63 of Windsor’s best views, attractions and other points of interest. We loosely followed some of it, but also just enjoyed strolling around in the sun snatching glimpses of the river, feeding the famous swans and dipping into the flurry of wee shops that lie sprinkled all over Windsor and Eton.
The next day we took a boat cruise to get better acquainted with Windsor and the surrounding slice of the River Thames. We choose Bateaux Windsor as they offer a three-course lunch alongside a cruise with commentary. I learned all about Eton just across the river as we cruised upriver. We sauntered along enjoying sweeping views of Windsor Castle accompanied by a platter of smoked fish and a glass of Chablis. They cater for the kids too with their own wee meals and activity packs, which kept my girls happy.
The neighbouring settlement of Bray is famous, of course, for the creative work of its mercurial uber chef Heston Blumenthal. We settled for the more traditional culinary delights at the Windsor branch of the steak restaurant chain run by another TV chef, Marco Pierre White. The steak was spot on and although it was all white linen tablecloths my girls were made to feel more than welcome.
Our other great meal during this trip was at the new brasserie at the St Christopher Wren hotel. Here we reclined in the evening sun by the river and feasted on bright brasserie cooking with some great service too. I liked that they have put in floor to ceiling windows so on cooler nights you can dine inside and still enjoy the river views. The location could not be any more central if you want to stay in the heart of Windsor.
The next day we found the views from Cliveden Gardens were even more impressive than those at the St Christopher Wren hotel. The grand country house at the National Trust site swims with the ghosts of a litany of dukes, earls, viscounts and princes, but it was the gardens and their sweeping views of the Thames Valley that most beguiled me. My kids loved the Yew-tree maze, while the parterre also struck me, laced with over 30,000 plants and bulbs.
As we were in the area there was no way the kids were going to let us leave without visiting LEGOLAND. I’m actually a huge fan too of what for me is the best family friendly theme park in the UK. While the on site hotel rooms there seem a bit overpriced I think the actual entry fees are reasonable as it’s easy to spend a whole day at the theme park with so much to see and do.
LEGOLAND Windsor Resort works so well as it offers so much to cater for all different tastes. My six-year-old Emma loved the fairytale-style areas and tamer adventures, while my nine-year-old Tara was more a fan of the faster thrill rides. Mummy enjoyed chilling on the wee train that rumbled around the resort, while I was happiest savouring the traditional charms of Miniland. Here I enjoyed touring LEGO ‘Scotland’ with its LEGO Castle, Highland Games and whisky distillery!
We invested in a Q-Bot Express, which turned out to be well worth it. This ingenious system allows you to book the use of express lanes across the park so you seldom have to queue even for the most popular rides. My instinctively egalitarian Scottish soul felt a bit guilty at first ‘skipping’ the queue, but anyone can buy one. It made all the difference to the experience the kids had with more time spent actually on rides rather in queues.
Our last night in the Windsor area was spent a little along the river in Magna Carta country at the Runnymede on Thames (www.runnymedehotel.com). This modern family-run hotel has recently undergone a major refurbishment and it looks great. We loved the oversized deckchairs to mess about on by the river and the large, bright bedroom. The kids were really looked after and were even given their own cuddly duck to keep when we checked in. They have both indoor and outdoor swimming pools. You can even hire one of their boats if you want to enjoy a cruise on the river.
I’m glad that I’ve finally made it to the world’s largest inhabited castle and thoroughly recommend you get to Windsor Castle too. If you do I also heartily recommend taking more time to discover the rest of what Windsor and the surrounding area offers on the gently charming banks of the River Thames.
For more information on Windsor see www.windsor.gov.uk.
Hotel of the Fortnight
I love wee family run hotels. One of my favourites is the Coll Hotel, an oasis with just a handful of rooms tucked on the eponymous island. I’ve just been back to stay for the first time in nine years. Bedrooms are cosy and comfortable – make sure to book one with a great view of a flurry of fellow Hebridean isles. The welcome from the Oliphant family is supremely friendly and as the hotel bar is the social hub of island life, so you get to meet the friendly Collachs too. The hotel’s excellent restaurant overflows with Coll produce, such as lobster (the homemade spaghetti with lobster is delicious), crab and langoustines, plus quality local lamb. www.collhotel.com.
Travel Tip
It’s that time of year again when the Festival City is taken over by its flurry of fun summer arts festivals. I take the kids in every year after scouring all the programmes for the most engaging shows for all the family. This year we’ve chosen two stand outs. Transit at Edinburgh’s Assembly Hall is a ‘new circus’ that combines elements of theatre and dance alongside acrobatic displays. Then there is Aaaand Now For Something Completely Improvised at the Pleasance Dome. It sees Fringe veterans Racing Minds back after four sell-out years with their brand of improvised comedy. The show has a U rating so you don’t have to worry about taking kids. www.edinburghfestivalcity.com.
