Winter’s Day in Windsor

Just an hour by train from London, the riverside town of Windsor is a fantastic day trip to visit the famous Royal Palace and enjoy the Berkshire countryside.

With the Christmas break upon us, we thought it would be fun to do a day trip outside of London. But where to? There are many options at our disposal: the university towns of Oxford and Cambridge; coastal towns of Whitstable, Margate, and Folkstone; countryside walks in Surrey; and riverside towns such as Marlow, Henley, and Windsor. Having visited both Marlow and Henley-on-Thames, it would be fun to take Lady Yeya to visit the famous Windsor Palace. Off we go, on a quick 54 minute train from London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside.

Eton & Windsor

Arriving by mid-morning, we took a short walk over to Eton College, the famous independent boys’ school. Notable alumni include some 20 prime ministers including David Cameron and Boris Johnson; HRH Prince William and Prince Harry; and actors Dominic West and Damien Lewis. The one-mile-long Eton High Street stretching from the river to Eton College is filled with independent shops, cafes, and pubs. I could only imagine Eton High Street to be teeming with students when school is in session.

It was a different vibe back over at Windsor High Street, which was full of visitors and locals. The town of Windsor couldn’t be more picturesque with the magnificent Windsor Castle in the background. It has been some 15 years since we last visited Windsor if you can believe it! The family and I had a leisurely lunch of all the British classics  at The Duchess of Cambridge Pub.

Then it was on to some retail therapy, spending time in the toy section at Daniel of Windsor where Lady Yeya gets excited for all things Star Wars.  We continued our walking tour enjoying all the Christmas lights and Union Jack bunting. The town is filled with historic pubs and cosy tearooms and of course, lots of souvenir shops.  Then it was time for our 2:30pm entrance into Windsor Castle. That said, Lady Yeya was disappointed not to meet HM The King.

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle, one of HM Queen Elizabeth’s favourites, is one of many royal residence, including Buckingham Palace, Sandringham, and Balmoral. Built in the 11^th century by William the Conqueror, Windsor Castle is the oldest royal palaces and have been home to over 40 monarchs. The castle footprint is massive with beautifully manicured grounds. There are many Instagram-worthy spots all around the route. Unfortunately, no photographs inside of Windsor Castle. But some of the highlights are the exquisite State Rooms for special events and ceremonial purposes such as the Grand Reception Room and the Waterloo Chamber. The guided route takes you through various drawing rooms and bedrooms of HM. If you are an art lover, you can spend hours admiring all the portraits adorning the walls of each room. Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House is a favourite designed by the famous British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens in the early 1920s.

The last visit was to St. George’s Chapel located within the grounds of Windsor Castle. Another stunning Gothic architecture which is no surprise why it is a favourite venue for royal weddings including the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and HRH Princess Eugenie and Mr. Jack Brooksbank. St. George’s Chapel is also the final resting place of HM Queen Elizabeth II. It would have been lovely to stay for the 5pm Evening Song but we had to make our way back to London.

Windsor is a great choice for a day trip for some British culture, architectural history, and nature walk. With the Windsor Castle tickets now valid for 365 days, we look forward to returning in the summer to enjoy long country walks and more exploring of this lovely riverside town.  #GodSavetheKing