 Day Trips From
London
Windsor
Windsor Castle
Alfred De Breanski
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If
you are visiting London, it is well worth considering one or two
day trips to nearby places of interest outside the capital. For
example, just over 25 miles from Central London, in the country
of Berkshire, the ancient town of Windsor stands on the River
Thames. You can go there by train from Paddington Station (change
at Reading) or you can hire
a car and use the M4 motorway to the west of London. Using
a car gives the greatest flexibility and allows you to see the
picturesque countryside in the area.
If you want to spend a day or
two seeing other places in England while visiting London, take
a look at the tours offered by our partner, Viator. They include
day trips to Stonehenge, Bath, Windsor, York, Canterbury, Oxford
and Stratford-upon-Avon. Find
out more.
The town is dominated by its
world famous Castle,
built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century and still
used today by the Royal Family as a home.
Berkshire Landscape
J.E. Meadows
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The Castle is just three miles
from the scene of one of the most significant events in English
history - the signing of Magna Carta. In June 1215, at nearby
Runnymede,
King John put his seal to the document. Although the barons
that forced the King to do this were principally concerned with
their own interests, Magna Carta, for the first time, enshrined
a citizen's rights before the law. The 39th article stated:
"No free man shall be
arrested or imprisoned or dispossessed or outlawed or harmed
in any way save by the lawful judgement of his equals under
the law of the land. Justice will not be sold to any man nor
will it be refused or delayed."
The Castle continued in Royal
use. Edward III made it his principal residence, building the
Round Tower in 1348 and making alterations in other parts of
the Castle. As well as the residence of English kings, Windsor
Castle was used for keeping in eminent prisoners, for example,
David Bruce, King of Scotland, and John, King of France in the
14th century. During the Civil War, the Castle was held for
Parliament and many of its treasures were melted down.
Today some parts of the Castle
are open to the public. They include the State Apartments (when
the Queen is not in residence), Queen Mary's Dolls' House, and
the Exhibition of the Queen's Presents and Royal Carriages.
More
on Windsor
Copyright © 2002 by Carol
Fisher
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