Windsor Castle :: Place Descriptive Monuments Essays

Windsor Castle â€Å"Seen for the first time, Windsor Castle is an unforgettable sight; its imposing towers and battlements creating one of the world’s most spectacular sky-lines† Windsor Castle is one of England’s most dominant structures. The castle was built around 1070 by William the Conqueror. It stands about 21 miles west of London in a parameter town called Windsor. Edward III rebuilt the castle around 1344, but many kings have contributed their own share to the enormous structure. The castle is located above the Thames river. It surrounds a park called Little Park, which joins the Great Park south of Windsor. Home Park connects the castle on the north, east, and south side; while Great Park is south of Home Park. Within the castle walls there is a spectacular artificial lake called Virginia Water (http://www.interlog.com/~lontours/windsor.html). The most impressive structure of Windsor Castle is the Round Tower, or Keep, which stands 80 feet high. According to tradition, King Arthur sat with the Knights of the Round Table within this tower. Surrounded by a moat, it was also used as a prison until 1660. The castle was intended to guard the western approaches to the capital. Since those early days, the castle is inhabited, and one of The Queen’s official residences. The castle also includes the State Apartments, Saint George’s Hall, the Waterloo Chamber, the Throne Room, the Rubens Room, and the Van Dyck Room, which are used for Court ceremonial and State occasions. They also contain priceless valuable art objects. St. George’s Chapel, resting place of 10 sovereigns, is also within the precincts. The Chapel is given to the patron saint of the Order of the Garter, Britain’s highest Order of Chivalry. The Chapel is one of the finest examples of late medieval architecture in the United Kingdom (http://www.royal.gov.uk/palaces/winsrest.htm). In 1992 a tragic fire broke out in the castle.