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History of Windsor

Windsor has a long and colourful history. Thanks to the royal connection there are lots of first hand documentary sources available for those interested in the history of the town of Windsor, Berkshire.

The story of the settlement begins in the dawn of prehistory. The last ice age saw glaciers within 20 miles of where Windsor now stands. As the ice melted, the massive quantities of water carved the path of the river Thames

The river provided the first easy path through the growing forests so we believe that many settlers would have passed the bluff where the castle now stands while heading west into unknown lands. Evidence of Deer, Horses, Mamoth and Rhinoceros all point to plenty of hunting opportunities for the first peoples to arive after the ice retreated.

For the next eight thousand years or so, hunter gatherers and later on, farmers left their mark on the landscape. The thames valley is awash with flint tools and the evidence of their manufacture. For instance, this mesolithic blade was one of hundreds found on just one morning of fieldwalking further west along the thames valley.

In the bronze age there were wooden bridges over the thames about a mile upstream from windsor where the eton rowing lake now sits.

In the Iron age we believe that Windsor marked the eastern edge of the Atrebates tribal boundary. There is little evidence of Roman occupation (55AD to 410AD) in Windsor. However a settlement grew to the west of the great rock and the village of Clewer evolved. There was a ferry here, but no evidence of a bridge. The name Clewer may well have Roman origin. The nearest Roman Road was that which ran between Calleva (Silchester) and Londinium (London). Its course included a river crossing at Staines about 5 miles downstream. This does not mean Windsor was ignored by the Romans. Archaeology in town has revelaved a number of finds from the Roman period.

During the Saxon period (500-1000AD) a royal palace grew up at Windlesora (meaning windlass on the riverbank) a mile and a half downstream from the present town of Windsor.

By 1100 A small town had grown around the castle and in 1121 the first of many royal wedding to be held in Windsor occured.

Between 1173-79 the stone walls replaced William the Conqueror's wooden palisades and earthworks and the castle we know today began to appear.

Windsor castle was besieged in 1193 for 2 months by barons who were opposing Prince John's attempted coup. Some years later John became king and just a few months after signing the Magna Carta at Runnymede, he was again besieged at Windsor by the barons, this time for 3 months.

History tells us that in 1236 five oak trees were required to repair the wooden bridge at Windsor. This bridge lasted until 1822 when it was replaced by the present cast iron structure.

During the reign of Henry VI (crowned in 1422AD) Eton college was founded, altering for all time the view north across the river.

Windsor's Coat of Arms

By 1528 there were 20 alehouses in Windsor, a town with a population of barely 1000 people. The Mermaid alehouse stood on the site of the current Castle Hotel. A few yards down the hill stood the Garter alehouse mentioned by Shakespeare in the Merry Wives of Windsor. A pub (Ye Harte and Garter) sill stands on the spot today.

In 1687 Windsor's lovely Guildhall is constructed. designed by Sir Thomas Fiddes and constructed by Sir Christopher Wren, England's most famous architect.

Nell Gwynne actress and mistress of king Charles II lived in Windsor and her house stands to this day.

In the early 1700s windsor was fashionable and the Ascot races were founded. However all this changes in 1714 when George I comes to the throne. The Hannoverians were not big fans of Windsor until George III moves here in late 1700s.

In the 1820s the castle is extensively remodelled by Sir Jeffry Wyattville.

1840 Victoria's beloved husband Albert errects England's first xmas tree at Windsor Castle. The Royal family are illustrated in a newspaper standing around the Christmas tree, and the tradition of decorating a tree comes to stay.

The coming of the railway changes the town and Park Street is closed off in exchange for the crown handing over part of the home park to the ralway company. At Windsor and Eton riverside station you can see the high doorways that allowed the mounted troopers to ride their horses on and off the special military trains without dismounting.

World War I Canadian Lumberjacks are billeted in the great park and chop down some of Windsor's 1000 year old Oak trees.

The royal family change their name from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor.

Windsor's population trebles during the twentieth Century. Slum dwellings close to the town centre are replaced by a massive block of flats called Ward Royal, now considered by many to be the ugliest buildings in Windsor. The few 'slum' dwellings that were left have since been rennovated to become some of Windsor's most desireable property.

A massive Fire breaks out at Windsor Castle on 20 November 1992 the 45th wedding anniversary of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. Over 100 rooms in the Castle were badly damaged or destroyed. The fire took 250 firefighters some 15 hours to extinguish. After five years of rennovation work coting £37 million Windsor castle reopens to visitors.

In 2007 Windsor is the 19th most expenive place to live in England.

The Windsor Triathlon attracts record crowds in June.

For the second year running a 200 ft Ferris Wheel sits on Alexandra Park for 3 months during the summer to afford visitors an elevated view of the town.

Windsor Museum Appeal