Windsor Castle Architectural

• Description of the famous Windsor Castle
• Information & Facts about Windsor Castle
• The Design, Layout and Architecture of Windsor Castle
• What is the castle used for today?
• How many years has Windsor castle existed?

Description of Windsor Castle
The castle, after centuries of alterations, contains about 1, 000 rooms and occupies 13 acres of land. William the Conqueror chose the site of Windsor Castle at 'New Windsor' - taking the name from the 'Old Windsor' which was used by the Saxon Kings of the Dark Ages. 'New Windsor' was 100 feet above the river Thames and on the edge of the Saxon hunting ground. Despite countless additions and alterations the outer walls and the central mound of the castle are still in the same position as those of the original castle built by William the Conqueror. It was a day's march from the Tower of London and intended to guard the western approaches to the capital of England.

Windsor Castle consists of three “wards” - the upper ward, the middle ward and the lower ward.

• The lower ward houses St. George's Chapel
• The upper ward contains the royal apartments and grand state rooms
• The Middle Ward is actually the round tower which is built in the form of an amphitheatre, on the highest part of the mount
• The Round Tower consists of the Guard Chamber, the Dining Room, the Dressing Room and the Bed Chamber
• The Upper Ward consists of the Royal Apartments, Queen's Guard Chamber, Queen's Presence Chamber, Queen's Audience Chamber, Ball Room, Queen's Drawing Room, Queen's Bed Chamber
  Room of Beauties, The Queen's Dressing Room, Queen Elizabeth's Gallery (The Picture Gallery), China Closet, King's Closet, the King's Dressing Room, the King's Bed Chamber, the King's Drawing Room, the King's Public Dining Room, the King's Audience Chamber, the King's Presence Chamber, the King's Guard Chamber, St . George's Hall and St George's or the King's Chapel

Interesting Facts about Windsor Castle
The castle itself is not just the only link with history. There are a dozen ancient oak trees which date back to the Norman Conquest. The Queen is often in residence at Windsor Castle and this is indicated by the Royal Standard flying over the Round Tower. When the Queen is not in residence the Union Jack flag flies in its place. There are seventeen pieces of cannon mounted on the curtain wall of the Tower. When the disastrous fire burned Windsor castle approximately one-and-a-half million gallons of water was used to put out the blaze.