Windsor, Berkshire

Windsor (IPA: usually [ˈwɪnzə], but also [ˈwɪndzə]) is a suburban town and tourist destination in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is best known as the site of Windsor Castle.

The town is situated 21 miles (34 km) west of Charing Cross. It is immediately south of the River Thames, which forms its boundary with Eton. The village of Old Windsor, just over two miles to the south, predates what is now called Windsor by around 300 years; in the past Windsor was formally referred to as New Windsor to distinguish the two ^[1].

1 History
2 Tourism
3 Transport
4 Politics
5 See also
6 Footnotes
7 External links

[edit] History

Windsor is first mentioned in mediaeval literature. The name originates from Winch-furnished-Riverbank, or Windlesore, and was originally given to what is now called Old Windsor, a royal manor since Edward the Confessor's time. Soon after 1066 William the Conqueror selected a chalk outcrop on land owned by the manor of Clewer (west of Windsor) as the location for a defensive motte and bailey castle. The royal court transferred from Old Windsor to New Windsor around 1110 during Henry I's reign. The town gained the right to hold a market by 1261 (which is a sign of its status and royal patronage) and was granted borough status by Edward I's charter of 1277. The borough was one of those reformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 and retained its status until the Local Government Act 1972 came into force in 1974, merging the borough with other units to form the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.

The Shakespeare play "The Merry Wives of Windsor" is based in Windsor.

[edit] Tourism

Windsor is a popular tourist destination and location of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British royal family. The castle was originally established by King William I of England but has been substantially altered and added to over the centuries.

As a result of the royal residence Windsor has facilities usually found in larger towns: two railway stations, a theatre and several substantial hotels. The town is also the location of Legoland, built on the site of Windsor Safari Park. On construction, several tons of hippo dung had to be removed from the enclosure used by the animals.

[edit] Transport

Windsor Castle and the River Thames from the Brocas Meadows in Eton

Windsor is accessible from J6 of the M4 and Slough via a 3 mile long dual-carriageway.

Windsor has two railway stations. Windsor and Eton Central station has a shuttle service to Slough which has access to trains into London Paddington, or west to Maidenhead and as far as Bristol. Windsor and Eton Riverside station provides a service to London Waterloo. Both stations were built at around the same time in the 19th Century as the two train companies who owned the lines at the time wanted to carry Queen Victoria to Windsor, with the first line opened gaining the privilege.

Windsor is linked to the town of Eton (which is situated on the opposite bank of the River Thames) by Windsor Bridge. Originally a fully trafficked road bridge, Windsor Bridge is now for pedestrians and cyclists only and provides an excellent walking route from Windsor to Eton's High Street. To the south of the town lies Windsor Great Park and the towns of Old Windsor, Egham and Virginia Water.

Windsor lies on National Cycle Network Route 4 (London—St David's). The main access roads serving the town have adjacent cycle paths or nearby alternative traffic-free cycle routes.

[edit] Politics

The town is part of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead which is administered by an elected unitary authority. The mayor is Councillor Emrys Richards (Liberal Democrat).

The current MP for the Windsor constituency (which includes surrounding small towns and villages, such as Eton and Datchet) is Adam Afriyie (Conservative), who was elected at the 2005 General Election. Afriyie is notable for being the first black Conservative MP.