Windsor: The Town Behind the Castle
Windsor is one of those places that looks exactly like you’d expect it to, and somehow that’s not a disappointment. The castle sits up on the hill dominating everything below it, the streets curve around it in the way English towns have always curved around their most important building, and the whole place feels quietly, unapologetically sure of itself. We’ve come back four times over the years, every couple of years or so, and it hasn’t lost that feeling once.
The castle we have never been inside
We’ve never actually been inside Windsor Castle. Not for lack of trying — each time we’ve walked up to check, the day tickets are already gone. We’ve made our peace with it. The exterior is impressive enough on its own terms, the Round Tower rising above the town, the long façade stretching out along the hill. You can spend a good half hour just looking at it from different angles without spending a penny or queuing for anything, which given our track record with the tickets, is probably just as well.
The house that leans
Here is the thing about coming back to a place repeatedly: you stop looking. It took us several visits before we noticed the Crooked House at all, tucked beside the Guildhall on a corner of the old market square. Once you have seen it, you cannot unsee it — a small white and timbered building leaning quite distinctly into its neighbour, every window and door slightly off true.
It leans for an honest reason. A house had stood on the spot since 1592, but it was pulled down in 1687 to make room for the Guildhall next door. The replacement went up in 1718, and whoever built it used green oak that had not been properly seasoned. As the timber dried out it warped, and the whole building settled into the tilt it has held ever since. Three hundred years of a builder’s shortcut, still visible from the pavement.
It leans towards Queen Charlotte Street, which is reputedly the shortest street in England — so the two oddities sit side by side, and most people walk past both without looking up. We certainly did, for years.
Down to the river, and over to Eton
The town below is pleasant and easy to navigate — gift shops and tea rooms near the castle, thinning out into more ordinary life the further you walk. What we like best is following the route down toward the Thames and then continuing along to Eton. The river stretch is quiet and unhurried, the kind of walk that asks nothing of you. Keep your eyes open on the water and you’ll almost certainly see swans — they’re everywhere along this stretch of the Thames, and they belong, technically and legally, to the Crown. Crown swans, wandering about as if they know it.
Crossing over into Eton itself is worth the twenty minutes it takes. The high street is a row of small independent shops — clothes, antiques, curiosities — many of them closed when we’ve passed through, but that’s almost beside the point. The windows are interesting enough, and the atmosphere is unlike anywhere else: quiet, old, slightly formal in the way that places attached to very old schools tend to be. We’ve never visited the college itself, but the streets leading to it tell you plenty without needing to go inside.
Worth coming back to
Windsor rewards returning to. Each visit we’ve found a slightly different pace to it — busy one day, almost empty the next, festive on one occasion in a way we hadn’t expected at all. But that’s a story for another post.
Getting out on the water
If you want to see the castle from the angle most people miss, get on the river. Boats leave from Windsor Promenade, a few minutes downhill from the castle, and you can either be taken out or take yourself.
The river trips
French Brothers run the passenger boats, and there are two lengths to choose from. The 40-minute trip is the short one, downstream to Boveney Lock and back — enough to get the castle from the water without committing your afternoon. The two-hour trip comes in two versions: one heads upstream towards Bray, the other downstream through the grounds of Windsor Castle. If you only do one, do the downstream version.
The route passes Eton College, Windsor Racecourse, Romney Lock and Datchet, with commentary as you go. When we were there the 40-minute trip was around £15 for an adult and the two-hour around £21, with family tickets available — but check the current fares before you go, as they change each season. Booking online is cheaper than paying at the kiosk.
There are also coal-fired steamboat trips on a pair of Edwardian launches, but these run only on selected weekends through the summer, so you would need to plan around them rather than turn up.
Or hire your own
If you would rather do it yourself, John Logie Motorboats hire boats from the same stretch of promenade and have done for over forty years. Rowing boats were £19 for half an hour and £28 for the hour when we passed, plus a refundable deposit, taking up to four people. They also hire small motorboats if you would rather not row. No booking — you turn up and go.
Practical notes
- Book castle tickets in advance. This is the mistake we keep making. Windsor Castle uses timed entry and regularly sells out, particularly at weekends and through the summer. Booking ahead is also cheaper — adult tickets are £32 in advance against £36 on the day.
- Check the day. The castle is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
- Opening hours change with the season. March to October it’s 10:00–17:15, with last admission at 16:00. November to February it’s 10:00–16:15, last admission 15:00.
- You don’t need a ticket for the walk. The riverside route to Eton, the town streets and the views of the castle exterior are all free, and they’re most of what we like about the place.
- Trains. Windsor has two stations — Windsor & Eton Central and Windsor & Eton Riverside — both a few minutes’ walk from the castle.
Addresses
Windsor Castle
Windsor SL4 1NJ
rct.uk
Open 10:00–17:15 (Mar–Oct), 10:00–16:15 (Nov–Feb). Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Eton College
Eton, Windsor SL4 6DW
etoncollege.com
Eton High Street
Eton, Windsor SL4 6AF
Independent shops, most closed Sundays and some weekday afternoons.
From The Taps: Ian has covered Windsor’s craft beer separately — the full line-up of all five venues, or the quick comparison if you’re just picking one stop.
