A royal blue sky welcomes passengers off the train at Windsor and Eton Riverside on a bright late February afternoon. Clouds like foamy suds in bathwater sweep between the colour as footsteps force gazes to adjust away from the railway lines and onto charcoal chimneys and turrets, and brick upon brick of Bagshot Heath stone.
In case visitors need reminding of why they are here, The Royal Windsor pub is the first thing you’ll see upon exiting the station. A mock-tudor building, complete with hanging baskets and beer garden-views of the castle, gives an immediate introduction into this town, her heritage and one of her best-loved pastimes – serving up pints of history.
From here, a gentle stroll along Thames Street soon affords an arrival to The Castle Hotel that sits regal-like, with pretty Georgian facade, overlooking the Windsor Guildhall. The Guildhall, with pretty stained glass windows, also helpfully displays times of the changing of the guard and associated regiment for those keen to view. Opposite, guests step through wooden-framed revolving doors to be greeted by hotel personnel who stand beneath a board of 21 bells. While these may no longer sound from the 108 bedrooms above, today guests are still waited on in similarly handsome fashion.
At the rear of the building, a glass atrium like lobby – the Holyrood development – opened in 1990 by His Royal Highness Prince Philip The Duke of Edinburgh, permits time spent in the library before being welcomed into upstairs accommodation. Nods to the hotel’s history can be found encased in glass as is the case of the two Wilkinson’s swords – originally belonging to the Grenadier Guards, made in 1916. Or by climbing the dark wooden staircase while painted Lords and Ladies smile out from their gilded frames.
Above these portraits is another symbol of service – a box denoting the hotel’s suites – including Byron, Keats, Blake, Gray, Wordsworth, Shelley and Browning. This clear connection with literary and royal character shows no sign of abating – with son of Queen Camilla, Tom Parker-Bowles, recently signing his new book here, ‘Cooking and the Crown’.
With coat and shoes kicked off, I settle into the William Want suite. Powdered sugar in the form of petal-pink macaroons accompany a good old cup of English breakfast tea that brews for just the right amount of time while I finish a few emails from the short chaise-longue. My room overlooks the High Street, Windsor Castle, and a pretty dark-green letter box whose era is denoted in the letters VR. Given the hotel’s history as a royal-warranted coaching house dates from 1528, through to its more modern guise today, I note the transition from sending hand-written letters posted from these Royal boxes, to the emails that have recently left the inbox on my own computer. Correspondence and business continues to thrive.
My room boasts a shiny double shower so I take the chance to freshen up under the waterfall head, squeezing out aromas from the 100 Acre bath products in their enviro-conscious pretty packaging (contributing thus to the hotel’s gold badge for green tourism); sage and lemon, and rose, geranium and sweet orange bounce through the gently steaming air.
A tiny, charming, wonky house called ‘Shambles’ (it gives ‘There was an old woman who lived in a shoe’ vibes for those of a certain generation) provides a cosy spot opposite the hotel for a pre-dinner drink. This excellent wine bar is run by Pip and Hamish who have recently celebrated their second business birthday under such stewardship.
Tonight they are hosting an Oysters and Champagne evening, with as many local guests as there are visitors from further afield. Other treats here include tea from The Rare Tea Company, wine from sustainable heroes Occhipinti (Sicily) and Tim Wlidman (Australia), local beers and the brilliantly sounding ‘snackalami’. If a local brew is more your thing, you can also pile into the ‘Prince Harry’ pub next door for a swift half (or more) of ‘Windsor and Eton Beer’, or a bowl of leek and potato soup (£5.50). Plate No.6, offers tapas counter and table dining on this cobblestone square, and there is a handily located Hamptons for anyone wanting to window shop their own English castle.
Back at the hotel I take my table for dinner at Leaf restaurant. Suitably, I’m surrounded by a throng of greenery, birds of paradise and a nearby Zamioculas Zamiifolia that makes the dining room come alive with her upright evergreen foliage. Here a hearty, wholesome and sincere menu provides signature dishes such as game pie, fish and chips, and during the daytime a highly-coveted, afternoon tea.
The drinks list includes an award-winning ‘Kings Fumé’ – an ‘almost Burgundy-like’ white wine made in Berkshire from the Ortega (grape), named after King Charles I who donated a special window to Stanlake Park wine estate in 1626 by artist Benedict Butterworth.
If you need glasses to read you are in safe hands here but you still may not spot the ‘invisible garden salad’ that comes instead of an order to donate to the local Thomas Hospice. Children are similarly catered for without too many chicken nuggets in sight. Hotel packages include those that offer both breakfast and dinner making the overall offering very good value.
Windsor Castle from the Long Walk (photo by Simon Hurry, courtesy of Unsplash)
Of course, the main attraction of any stay here must be a visit to Windsor Castle herself. I’ve walked from top to bottom of the impressive Long Walk before, but never have I stepped foot into the Palace surrounds until now. Early spring is a great time of year to come when there are fewer tourists, but the sun still shines.
Through the airport style security, an easy mele of people tour through beautiful hunting halls, mirrored bedrooms and wooden panelled ante-chapels, witnessing wealth and wonder in many decorative steps. A cloaked member of staff compliments my scarf as I wander into the room that contains St Mary’s Dolls House – where books, music records and wine (as supplied then by Berry Bros, & Rudd) were minaturised to match a real and regal palace that now bears wonder on the rest of the world, and also allows an imagination in. The tiny books were re-comissioned for the 2024 centenary by some of today’s most prominent writers and illustrators. If you’re a fan of reading in the bath, you might indulge these in my favourite part of the doll’s house – the emerald green tub.
The Castle as a whole, including St. George’s chapel, home to many a far-followed historical event, and now where our late Queen has since been laid to rest, is full of long-lived sentiment and surprise. In the throne room, one such surprise was discovering the Order of the Garter.
St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle (photo by Malgorzata Bujalska)
‘Honi soit qui mal y pense’ the garter’s motto, scripted in white and gold on the arms of St.George against a deep blue velvet, means ‘Shame on him who thinks evil of it.’ This is the most senior order of knighthood, obtained through chivalry, that exists in the U.K. Members are formally appointed by the current Sovereign King as originally concepted by King Edward III in 1348.
As my tour concludes, this seems to neatly summarise a visit to Windsor. From the Rotary Club who according to the plaque on the door meet at The Castle Hotel on a regular basis, to those who work for the Castle (both hotel and palace) and even the ticket collector on the train, Windsor offers itself as a place where everyday Knights exist – their armour one of simply ‘being kind’.
For more information about The Castle Hotel, including details of offers, romantic escapes and their Sunday Night Special at Leaf, please visit www.castlehotelwindsor.com.
