the South Wing of the Upper Ward
outside the Norman Gate
St. George fighting the dragon
Queen Victoria dominates the front of Castle Hill
on the North Terrace
One of the first measures he took was to build a wooden fort at Windsor that guarded
a stretch of the
Thames.
Early in the 12th century
Henri I made the fort his royal residence and
Windsor Castle has kept
that position ever since.
Soon the wood was replaced by stone and fortifications were strengthened. That strategy payed
off nicely during the siege in the
First Baron's War.
Subsequent monarchs spent lots of money to rebuilt, modify,
enhance and beautify the castle.
Of particular beauty and costs are the
State Apartments in the Upper Ward, created in the 19th
century.
Presently the castle serves as weekend home for the Queen and is used for official ceremonies.
We
visited Windsor Castle in June 2010.
visitors use this the entrance to the castle
the Middle Ward with a view of the Edward III tower
this is the other side of the Norman Gate
this must definitely be the roughest part of a guard's job
the Lower Ward with St George's Chapel to the left
marching back to the barracks
outside the castle with King Henry VIII gate to the left