A few months back, the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took the world by storm. The city of Windsor, just a short distance west of London, was the center of this media sensation. The event was so inspiring—I had to go. It was imperative that I should come here, just as Meghan and her Prince had done just a few months earlier, and be a part of this place that bonded this royal couple. Today would be that day!
Now … This is where I come clean. There’s not much truth to that first paragraph. Don’t get me wrong, the Prince did marry his Princess—though she’s not really a Princess. Due to a technicality in the system, her rank has been limited to that of Duchess—the Duchess of Sussex to be precise. Not bad for a California girl, I suppose.
And while it may be true that Windsor was on my list, the Royal Wedding had very little to do my decision to visit. Who am I kidding? It had no influence on my decision! Don’t get me wrong, just because “I” may not have felt inclined to tune in at any point, I certainly don’t mean to rain on anyone’s parade. The event was enjoyed by millions, just as it should have been. After all, this is the Royal Family, and having Windsor serve as it’s backdrop resulted in a fairytale story. Those who know me, however, know I’m not sitting around watching a wedding—at least on TV. On the other hand, a wedding that involves me drinking at the reception… well, that’s a different story! As it turns out, the timing of my visit to Windsor just so happened to coincide with the frenzy that remained from the Royal Wedding. I simply couldn’t resist having fun with that.
All jokes aside, it has become evident over the years that a great portion of the American public is enamored with the Royal Family. I can’t help but appreciate the irony of it all. You see, some time ago our country was involved in a major conflict. Perhaps you have heard about it—the American Revolution. Many Americans fought and died to separate themselves from the very Monarch they now seem to adore. Can you picture John Hancock sitting down in front of the telly in celebration of the Royal Wedding? I’m not sure he’d sign off on that script—pun intended!
So—what circumstances led us to Windsor?
Well—as we just learned, I might not tune in to watch a wedding, but I’d never miss an Eagles game! This year the Eagles just so happened to be playing in the NFL International series in London. This meant I would be in London.
We would spend the week leading up to the game exploring the sights of London. I wanted to spend one of these days visiting attractions outside of the city, but with so many options, we had to figure out where we wanted to go: Cotswolds, Oxford, Canterbury, Stonehenge, Bath, White Cliffs of Dover, Windsor, Highclere Castle (Downton Abbey), etc.
Initially I considered a bus trip that would take us to Stonehenge, the Roman city of Bath, Windsor Castle, and lunch in a 14th century pub. This trip seemed ideal, but I had some concerns. For instance, it would literally take the entire day: departing around 8am and returning close to 9pm. Did we want to spend the entire day on the go? Would this leave us enough time to explore each location, or would we rather go at our own pace? I loved the idea of taking in as much as possible in our limited time, and despite my desire to visit each place on the itinerary, I decided against it.
Opting Against Stonehenge
The main reason I decided against the bus tour began with Stonehenge. I had spent a few days England several years back but didn’t make to Stonehenge. I always said I wanted to come back one day and visit this historic location. Now I had the opportunity to do so, but would it make sense? Located a few hours outside of London, I had to ask myself it was worth taking the long trek just to look at a few big stones? Had my time not been limited, that would have been an easy question to answer. Of course! But visiting these historic stones would literally eat up huge chunks of precious time. So was it worth it? I’ve read so many reviews that say no; that it’s not worth going out of your way just to look at some rocks. I guess I could see how that would be true if you have no interest or appreciation for their historical value. I look at it a bit differently. Think back to your school days—is there not a picture of Stonehenge in practically every history book? Think about all the documentaries we stumble upon while channel surfing. So much coverage about this mysterious place that has stood for thousands of years (or so I thought, more on that in a minute). They may be just stones to some, but if you appreciate the fact that they are one of the true wonders of the world, seeing it with your own eyes could become one of the better memories you keep throughout your life.
Based on what I’m saying, it should seem obvious that a voyage to Stonehenge would not be a waste of time in my book. Sure, four hours of travel time to stare at a bunch of rocks for a few minutes may not sound worthwhile, but I love history and I am fascinated with historical landmarks such as Stonehenge. I do believe I would have felt grateful to have seen it. So why did I decide against Stonehenge, you may ask? Well as it turns out, there are two ways to see Stonehenge. Typically Stonehenge is roped off to visitors, meaning you can only stare at it from a distance. Yeah, no thanks! The second way to see it is what they call the inner circle tour, which allows you to walk between the stones just like Clark Griswold. I always say there is a right way and a wrong way to do something. The inner circle tour would be the correct way. Now … are you ready for this? There are two months during the year in which the inner circle tour is suspended—that’s right, not available. Apparently they allow time for the ground to heal. I believe the ground there is just dirt and grass, though I could be wrong. This being the case, I’m not quite sure what happens to dirt when there too much foot traffic, but evidently it requires healing. Anyway, as you might suspect, this would naturally occur during the time I would be there. After much debate, I decided I wouldn’t be satisfied seeing Stonehenge from the other side of a rope, not with the knowledge that there an existing inner circle tour. In the end, Stonehenge was ruled out.
I Didn’t See Stonehenge—Yet, It Manage to Disappoint Me?
Perhaps one day I will make it to Stonehenge and participate in the inner circle tour. I had also decided it would be best to visit under different lodging circumstances than my current situation. Rather than visit Stonehenge from London, which required several hours of travel to do so, it would be best to stay a day or two close by—perhaps in the town of Bath. There were so many places west of London we wanted to see, but traveling from London limited our ability to do this effectively. I would prefer to return one day and spend a few days outside of London traveling from place to place—making the best use of my time.
Was I disappointed for missing out on Stonehenge? I was—but not anymore. Returning home from England not having seen Stonehenge—again—felt like a lost opportunity. I have full intentions of visiting England again one day, but I have to ask myself the question, will I really get the opportunity to do so? One never knows. So yes, I was disappointed—but then, I discovered something truly disturbing. Did you know that roughly 100-years ago Stonehenge was a wreck? When you think of Stonehenge, you think of a series of stones standing just as they had stood for nearly 5,000-years, and that incredible fact is part of what makes Stonehenge fascinating. To stand in the presence of this wondrous structure, you are provided the opportunity to connect with ancient history. As you view this structure, you can’t help but appreciate the fact that you are looking at a manmade object exactly as it would have been seen by someone roughly five thousand years ago.
But wait…
There is a blurry line between fact and fiction. These are not undisturbed stones from thousands of years ago. You are not seeing a prehistoric monument as it was left by ancient peoples. As it turns out, throughout the years, several of the stones had fallen over and were just laying on all over the place. During the past hundred years or so, mainly between 1901 and 1964, Stonehenge was reconstructed. Men from the modern world came rolling in with modern equipment and pieced Stonehenge together like Lego’s. Cranes lifted these enormous stones into place, many reinforced with concrete. Nobody ever seems to talk about this though.
So if you ever look at a picture of Stonehenge and wonder how they got those enormous stones situated like that, the answer is easy … cranes! If you ever visit, you’ll appreciate that the stones you are looking at are left undisturbed from a time long ago—the 1960’s.
I can appreciate the intent of constructing Stonehenge back to a state as close to it’s original construction as possible. The idea is so we can see it as it looked when it was built. I don’t appreciate, however, believing that what I am looking at is unchanged and sits as it was built, wondering how human hands accomplished this feat so many thousands of years ago—when in fact, what I would be looking at was assembled by cranes not so long ago.
Considering these facts, I still think I would take the time to visit Stonehenge in the future should I find myself close by. Will I go out of my way to see it? Once upon a time the answer to that question would have been yes, but I don’t think that’s the case anymore. In my view, it’s no longer a marvel of the world I had always considered it to be. It’s simply a re-construction of a historic landmark; it’s a museum.
Downton Abbey Off the List Too
Perhaps you are familiar with the hit TV show Downton Abbey. This period piece takes place during the early 1900’s, set at the Crawley estate (a castle), depicting the lives of the aristocrats and their servants. I admit—it’s a guilty pleasure of mine.
The real name of the estate that is used in the show is Highclere Castle, located just outside of London. Being a fan of the show, I would have been happy to visit the estate. But of course, just like the Stonehenge Inner Circle tour, there would be no tours available during our visit. Tours of the castle ran all through the summer into early September. It was now October. Oh well. From what I could gather, I believe you may be able to get into a private tour out of season. I can’t be too sure. Either way it didn’t matter. They were apparently filming on location for the upcoming Downton Abbey movie. It was closed regardless.
On To Windsor
We narrowed it down to two options. We would either go to Windsor or the Cotswolds. The Cotswolds really struck me as a place I’d love to visit, but In light of the recent Royal Wedding, we felt we would get more out of a visit to Windsor. And yes—I realize that after having much fun at the expense of the Royal Wedding, insisting it had absolutely no effect on our decision to visit Windsor, it just may have had everything to do with our decision after all.
You will find several bus tour services that will take you from London to Windsor; however, we opted to take the train—more cost effective and I should think much easier. A short tube ride to Vauxhall Station connected us with the national rail system. Fifty minutes later, we were in Windsor.
City of Windsor
Located in the English county of Berkshire, the city of Windsor lies roughly twenty miles west of London. Windsor was first referred to as Windlesora—from old English Windles-ore—which obviously refers to Winch by the Riverside. What exactly does that mean, you may ask? Well … I believe it has something to do with the arc of the landscape along the river, but I tend to struggle with my Old English, so don’t hold me it.
Anyway, how about this . . . did you know there are two Windsor’s? Perhaps this doesn’t quite blow your mind; however, let me explain. The village of Widlesora, which would later be called Windsor, is not the same city of Windsor we know today. This village, now called Old Windsor, had been the location of a Royal Saxon Palace until the William the Conqueror had a castle built three miles away following the Norman conquest of England during 11th century. You’ll know this castle today as Windsor Castle. The location of this new castle would be called New Windsor to alleviate any confusion. New Windsor is now simply called Windsor.
Our trip takes place in Windsor, a.k.a. New Windsor, the one with the famous castle—not Old Windsor. It would have been nice to participate in the full Windsor experience, but alas, a half-Windsor it would be.
We departed the train and found ourselves walking the streets of Windsor, unsure of the Castle’s location. This—by the way—is one of the best way to explore. In many cases, a walk down an unknown street may become as much of an attraction as any other on your list. Try to appreciate your surroundings, taking in as much culture as you can as you randomly stroll. Naturally, it will be a magical moment when you arrive at your destination—in our case Windsor Castle; however, there’s something special about the memories you keep from those places you don’t read about in travel books. In the end, you will always arrive at your destination. Enjoy the journey along the way!
Following the crowds, we made our way along the river through the quaint town of Windsor. Up above on our left, a large stone wall and tower came into view. We had arrived at Windsor Castle.
Windsor Castle
When we think of Windsor, we think of one thing—the castle!
- This is the Royal residence at Windsor
- More than 1-million people visit the castle each year
- Considered the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world
- Consists of 1,000 rooms and 350 fire places
- There are 450 clocks at Windsor Castle, managed by the Queen’s Clock Maker. His favorite time of year? Daylight savings, of course! It takes about 16-hours to move the clocks up an hour; however, it takes 18-hours to move them back. This is because the clocks cannot be turned back, so they must be moved 11-hours ahead to achieve the desired time. Ain’t nobody got time for that!
- Housed the entire Royal Family during World War II. It was suggested that the Royal Family flee to Canada for the duration of the war as to avoid the constant bombings and potential threat of an overall invasion by the Germans. The King chose to stick in out in Windsor instead. Long live the King!
- 20% of the castle was destroyed by a fire in 1992. Its was repaired at a cost of £36.5-Million. Convert £ to $ and that number gets worse!
Rumor has it: London, along with other British cities, were frequently the target of German bombings during WW2. Windsor, however, was never a target. Why? The answer is quite interesting. It is said that Windsor was spared from bombing raids and potential destruction because Hitler intended to make this his British home after his conquer was complete. Sorry Adolf, the Queen’s flag still flies above the castle!
Story of the Windsor Knot
The Windsor Knot, as you probably know, was made famous by the Duke of Windsor. Preferring a larger knot, he apparently had his ties made with thicker cloth to achieve this. The Windsor Knot was developed so that a tie with a normal thickness would emulate this look.
St. George’s Cathedral
- Gothic cathedral at Windsor Castle
- Seats approximately 800
- Established in 14th century by King Edward III. Construction began 1475 and completed around 1528
- Resting place of 10 monarchs, including King Henry VIII … made famous by none other than Herman’s Hermits. Or should I say, King Enery the Eighth? Sorry, I’m just speaking with a Cockney accent again, I am.
Dinner: Duchess of Cambridge
We had concluded our tour of Windsor Castle and found ourselves wandering the streets of Windsor on empty stomachs. We popped into a pub called the Horse and Groom; however, nothing jumped out on the menu so we only stayed for a quick pint before moving on. The pub was quaint and befitting the feel of this historic town. I felt like I was having a pint in a Shakespeare tale. Despite taking a million pictures of everything else, I failed to capture a single picture of the Horse and Groom. Feel free to hit up Google images for a look.
Just down the block, the Duchess of Cambridge. TripAdvisor displayed positive reviews, so in we went. We were sat in the back and pretty much had the room to ourselves. I continued to introduce myself to cask style beers, a perfect compliment to the bangers and mash that would shortly arrived.
Leaving the Duchess of Cambridge, we walked off our dinner, strolling the streets of Windsor. Overall, Windsor is a cool city with excellent charm: lots of pubs, shops, and one very big castle. It was quite an enjoyable day. If you’ve been there, you know what I mean. If you haven’t, I certainly recommend a visit, should you find yourself presented with the opportunity.