The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
A royally good time in Windsor
He’s visited plenty of Scottish castles but Robin found himself enchanted by a quintessentially English one too
I’ve easily visited more than 100 castles in Scotland over the years but I’d never been to Windsor Castle, the largest inhabited castle in the world.
This summer I resolved to finally venture to the Queen’s favourite weekend retreat and soon discovered there is plenty to enjoy in what is a glorious Royal burgh.
Windsor is very much known for its landmark and indeed, it has long dominated the surrounding lands.
It was not until the coming of the railway from London in the mid-19th Century that the growth of the town really took off. Today, it’s a very popular place but still retains plenty of the charm of village life.
Our first base was at Stoke Place (www.stokeplace.co.uk), a palatial dame that reclines in spacious grounds just 15 minutes from Windsor’s centre.
My two wee girls felt like royalty in our massive room, parading around the lavish public spaces. They lay on decent breakfasts and boast an award-winning restaurant so it makes a great bolthole for exploring the area.
We found plenty of those crowds on our visit to the castle – it’s easy to see why people flock here from all over the world. Its scale is epic and history unparalleled.
A fortification has stood here for around a millennia, dating back to the days when William the Conqueror was consolidating his power base in England. He chose his site well, tucked on a bluff overlooking the lifeblood River Thames.
The vaulting walls are imposing and that grandeur and sense of awe continues when you delve inside.
We were lucky to catch the Changing of the Guard – make sure you time your visit around this striking display of pomp and ceremony.
My girls were very focused on one place – the Queen Anne Dolls’ House. This has to be one of the biggest in the world and is easily the most lavish I’ve seen anywhere. It is even graced with its own electricity and flushing toilet.
Pushing beyond the castle we ambled along a section of the Queen’s Walkway. Set up to mark the Queen becoming Britain’s longest reigning monarch, it stretches for 6.373km to mark 63 years, seven months and three days of her reign. It links 63 of Windsor’s best views, attractions and other points of interest.
We loosely followed some of it but also just enjoyed strolling around in the sun, snatching glimpses of the river, feeding the famous swans and dipping into the flurry of wee shops that lie sprinkled all over Windsor and Eton.
The next day we took a boat cruise to get better acquainted with Windsor and the surrounding slice of the Thames. We chose Bateaux Windsor as they offer a three-course lunch alongside a cruise with commentary.
I learned all about Eton as we cruised upriver. We sauntered along enjoying sweeping views of Windsor Castle, accompanied by a platter of smoked fish and a glass of Chablis. They cater for the kids too, with their own wee meals and activity packs, which kept my girls happy.
The neighbouring settlement of Bray is famous, of course, for the creative work of its uber chef Heston Blumenthal. We settled for the more traditional culinary delights at the Windsor branch of the steak restaurant chain run by another TV chef, Marco Pierre White. The steak was spot-on and although it was all white linen tablecloths, my girls were made to feel more than welcome.
Our other great meal during this trip was at the new brasserie at the St Christopher Wren hotel.
I liked that they have put in floor to ceiling windows so on cooler nights you can dine inside and still enjoy the river
views. The location could not be any more central if you want to stay in the heart of Windsor.
The next day we found the views from Cliveden Gardens were even more impressive than those at the St Christopher Wren hotel.
The grand country house at the National Trust site swims with the ghosts of a litany of dukes, earls, viscounts and princes but it was the gardens and their sweeping views of the Thames Valley that most beguiled me. My kids loved the Yew tree maze, while the parterre also struck me, laced with more than 30,000 plants and bulbs.
As we were in the area there was no way the kids were going to let us leave without visiting Legoland.
I’m actually a huge fan too of what for me is the best family-friendly theme park in the UK. While the on-site hotel rooms seem a bit overpriced, I think the actual entry fees are reasonable as it’s easy to spend a whole day there.
It offers so much to cater for all different tastes. My six-year-old Emma loved the fairytale-style areas and tamer adventures, while my nine-yearold Tara was more a fan of the faster thrill rides.
Mum enjoyed chilling on the wee train that rumbled around the resort, while I was happiest savouring the traditional charms of Miniland. Here I enjoyed touring Lego “Scotland” with its Lego Castle, Highland games and whisky distillery.
We invested in a Q-Bot Express, which turned out to be well worth it. This ingenious system allows you to book the use of express lanes across the park so you seldom have to queue, even for the most popular rides. My instinctively egalitarian Scottish soul felt a bit guilty at first about “skipping” the queue but anyone can buy one. It made all the difference to the experience. The kids spent more time actually on rides rather than in queues.
Our last night was spent a little along the river in Magna Carta country at the Runnymede on Thames (www. runnymedehotel.com).
This modern family-run hotel has recently undergone a major refurbishment and it looks great.
We loved the oversized deckchairs to mess about on by the river and the large, bright bedroom. The kids were really looked after.
They have both indoor and outdoor swimming pools. You can even hire one of their boats if you want to enjoy a cruise on the river.
I’m glad I’ve finally made it to the world’s largest inhabited castle and thoroughly recommend you get there too. If you do, I also heartily recommend taking more time to discover the rest of what Windsor and the surrounding area offers.