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Royal castle
Windsor Castle
Royal residence begun after 1066 and used by monarchs since Henry I, with the Round Tower and state rooms; tickets from the Royal Collection Trust.
A mini guide to
Castle & Town
The castle, the Long Walk, the High Street and the riverside
Photos
1 / 6Welcome to the area
The castle, the Long Walk, the High Street and the riverside
Windsor grew up under the castle on the south bank of the Thames. The High Street, Peascod Street and Thames Street wrap round the castle walls, and the Guildhall, built in 1687-89, stands on the High Street. Both railway stations are a few minutes' walk from the castle: Windsor & Eton Central, now partly a shopping centre, and Windsor & Eton Riverside by the river.
Most visitors come for Windsor Castle and St George's Chapel, and to watch the guard march up the High Street on set mornings. South of the castle, the Long Walk leads almost 2.5 miles through the deer park to the Copper Horse. By the river, Alexandra Gardens and Windsor Promenade are where the boat trips leave; Royal Windsor Racecourse lies upstream, and LEGOLAND about two miles south-west of the town.
Highlights
Start here
If you only have a few hours, these are good places to begin.
Chapel
St George's Chapel
Late-Gothic chapel of the Order of the Garter inside the castle walls; Henry VIII, Charles I and Elizabeth II are buried here.
Ceremony
Changing the Guard
The new guard marches from Victoria Barracks up the High Street at about 10.45am on set days; the ceremony inside needs a castle ticket.
Avenue
The Long Walk
Tree-lined avenue laid out for Charles II in 1682-85, running almost 2.5 miles from the castle to the Copper Horse.
Statue
The Copper Horse
Equestrian statue of George III, put up in 1831 at the highest point of the Long Walk, with views back to the castle.
Town hall and museum
Windsor Guildhall & Museum
Grade I listed town hall of 1687-89, where Charles and Camilla married in 2005; the borough museum inside reopened in June 2026.
Directions Website Report a problem with Windsor Guildhall & Museum
Find your way
On the map
The map shows Castle & Town and the streets around it. The Getting there page lists nearby stops and stations.
Insider tips
Before you go
1
Check the guard days
The guard march runs on set days each month and the Army can change the schedule. Visit Windsor suggests watching from the High Street or under the Guildhall.
2
A castle ticket for the ceremony
Visit Windsor says you need a Windsor Castle entrance ticket to see the changing ceremony inside the walls; the march itself comes up the public High Street.
3
Walk the Long Walk early
The Windsor Great Park website gives the park's opening as 7am to dusk. The avenue is almost 2.5 miles each way to the Copper Horse.
4
Use the right station
Trains from Paddington arrive at Windsor & Eton Central and trains from Waterloo at Windsor & Eton Riverside; they are a few minutes apart on foot.
Tips from the Britlens editors
Photo credits
- Castle & Town (area photo): Ввласенко, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Windsor Castle: Diliff, CC BY 2.5, source
- St George's Chapel: Aurelien Guichard from London, United Kingdom (changes by Rabanus Flavus), CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Changing the Guard: Sandy B, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- The Long Walk: Bill Boaden, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- The Copper Horse: Michael Coppins, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Windsor Guildhall & Museum: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Theatre Royal Windsor: Jim Linwood uploaded and derivative work: MrPanyGoff, CC BY 2.0, source
- Alexandra Gardens: Steven Haslington, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Romney Lock: Nigel Cox, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Royal Windsor Racecourse: Gerald England, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- LEGOLAND Windsor Resort: Rob Young profile, CC BY 2.0, source
- Windsor & Eton Riverside Station: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Eton: Derek Harper, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown. All photo credits
Keep exploring Windsor