My recent travels in England took me to the town of Windsor (& Eton) in Berkshire for what I thought was the first time.
I soon realized that back in 2000 I had actually visited the Legoland nearby, so this on my return to the town of Windsor on another journey, was a chance to chill out in the comfort of the Sir Christopher Wren Hotel and Spa – the town of Windsor is gorgeous.
After touring the Tower of London and Poppies Display, staying in the Mad Hatter, I hopped on a direct train from London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside. Trains are frequent and cosy, A return price varies but mine cost just over £20 and the journey takes around 50 minutes. Here are some of the sights to take in while in Windsor, though there is easily enough here to occupy you for a couple of days – Legoland on its own can be a day trip.
Windsor Castle – this is the number one sight — remember the Queen lives here! Tourists from all over the world come here to see this glorious English building.
The rule is that if the Union Flag (Union Jack) is raised, then the Queen’s at home and it was when I was there. So for one night I was sharing a town with Queen Elizabeth the Second! Admission to the Castle is free to residents of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead with an Advantage Card.
The Thames — the Thames is at its most tranquil and idyllic here. Away from the bustling smoky fumes of crowded London, take some time to relax by the Thames here in Windsor. The Sit Christopher Wren Hotel has a fantastic Thames side restaurant and you can walk at leisure along the river feeding the swans and ducks.
The Crooked House – this house is one of the most peculiar and famous pubs in all of England — a house that is tilted on its side. Pop in for a pint or a cup of tea. In fact, Windsor is an awesome town for a pub crawl.
The Crooked House Pub in Windsor, Berkshire, England.
Legoland Windsor – it’s famous and definitely worth a stop if you have kids in tow.
Eton College – most people know the town as Windsor, but it’s actually two towns joined together by a bridge across the Thames. Walk across it and you get to the town of Eton, which of course houses the world famous Eton College, a mere 5 minute walk from the bridge. Tours of Eton College can be organized from £7.50. Famous people like Prince William, Antarctic Explorer Lawrence Oates, Adventurer Bear Grylls and authors George Orwell and Ian Fleming went to school here.
Halls of residence at Eton College.
Eton has also produced a whopping nineteen British Prime Ministers, including Sir Robert Walpole, William Pitt the Elder, the first Duke of Wellington, William Ewart Gladstone, the fifth Lord Rosebery, Arthur James Balfour, Anthony Eden, Harold Macmillan, Alec Douglas-Home, and the current Prime Minister, David Cameron.
I recommend staying at the Sir Christopher Wren Hotel and Spa:
Sir Christopher Wren
Hotel and Spa
Thames Street
Windsor
Berkshire SL4 1PX
t: +44 1753 442400
f: +44 1753 442490
e: wrens@sarova.com
Photo credits: Top photo from uclu.org, all others from Jonny Blair.
Jonny Blair is a self confessed traveling nomad who founded and blogs at Don’t Stop Living. He sees every day as an adventure. Since leaving behind his home town of Bangor in Northern Ireland ten years ago he has traveled to all seven continents, working his way through various jobs and funding it all with hard work and an appetite for travel. Don’t Stop Living, a lifestyle of travel’ contains over 1,000 stories and tips from his journeys round the globe. He wants to show others how easy it is to travel the world, give them some ideas and encourage them to do the same but most of all he aims to constantly live a lifestyle of travel. He is currently based in Hong Kong and on Twitter @jonnyblair.
