Merrie Olde England TR - Part TWO About This Page:

[cindybelle]

Well folks, I gummed up the works yesterday morning. I think it happened when I (without thinking -- how unlike me ) tried to paste a photo from a web site into the next part of my story. I hit <send> and got the usual message saying my thread had been posted, but the system didn't take me back to the story like it usually does. Marnie (Colexis Mom) has reported it, and hopefully IT will be able to delete that last message and we can patch this story back onto the original one.

But that's why you haven't been able to open page 23 of my epic novel. everybody!

So I will continue my story here for now.

.

[cindybelle]

Cheryl says the sculpture I admired from the top of the double-decker bus is one found in Hyde Park. And here is the offending photo that I stupidly cut-and-pasted directly into my story yesterday rather than saving the .JPG and then adding it an attachment (and that no doubt caused page 23 to fail):



The structure supporting the statue is called Wellington Arch (or Constitution Arch). It was designed by Decimus Burton as a memorial to the Duke of Wellington and originally provided a grand entrance to London. It was built as a northern gate to the grounds of Buckingham Palace. Originally the arch was topped with an equestrian statue of the Duke by Matthew Cotes Wyatt, but it was replaced with the current work, The Angel of Peace descending on the Quadriga of Victory (1912) by Adrian Jones.

And my "closeup" from the bus again:



Here's another photo taken from the bus that us up. As Rick said, "There's a traffic sign you don't see in the States."






So have I got you thoroughly confused yet? My next posting will pick up with our Monday (fabulous) time at Windsor Castle.

To see where I left off at Windsor, open Page 22 of my original trip report but don't try to open page 23 : http://www.passporterboards.com/foru...and-tr-22.html

[cindybelle]

The gardens are gorgeous, of course:










We were listening to the history via the audio recordings -- really interesting stuff! And if the skies look a bit subdued, never fear -- the clouds blow pretty quickly there, so we saw plenty of blue sky mixed in throughout the day.

[lauriep]

I'm glad you started a new thread, Cindy! That was so frustrating yesterday. I could see that you had updated in the morning, but I couldn't open the TR all day.

[cindybelle]

Of course, you can't really appreciate the size and scope of Windsor Castle unless you have an aerial view. So here's a "photo of a photo for you:




And another.




Now for the history:

WINDSOR CASTLE: was founded by William the Conqueror at the end of the eleventh century. (No winder it looks a bit like the Tower of London, right? ) It has been the home of thirty-nine monarchs, and is the oldest royal residence in the British Isles to have remained in continuous use.

The Queen is officially in residence at Windsor twice a year, at Easter, and again in June when the annual Garter Service in held in St. George’s Chapel. The castle is used as an alternative to Buckingham Palace for ceremonial visits by foreign heads of state. The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh spend most of their private weekends at Windsor.

The castle is divided into three principal areas known as wards. The steeply sloping Lower Ward is the most public part of the precincts, encompassing the ecclesiastical and collegiate life of St. George’s Chapel and the residences of the Military Knights of Windsor. The Guard Room with its parade ground is also located in the Lower Ward, in a range of buildings against the thirteenth-century well wall.


Check out these 360 degree virtual tours of St. George's Chapel:
College of St George - Windsor Castle - The Lower Ward
And here are some of our photos of the St. George's Chapel exterior.









And just below St. George's Chapel you find the parade grounds and -- you guessed it -- the daily Changing of the Guard ceremony! The buildings you see here are the "barracks" for the militia. The marching band plays several tunes while you wait for the Guardsmen to come through the gates.

[jennie622]

I'm still with ya!

[cindybelle]

There they go, through the entry gate to the perimeter.







Meanwhile, back at the barracks:

[cindybelle]

And one more, as the rest of the regiment files into the barracks, leaving one lone Guard standing at attention.

The soldiers on sentry duty are drawn from the five regiments of Foot Guards (Coldstream, Grenadier, and Scots, Irish and Welsh Guards), of which one battalion is always stationed at Windsor. The Changing of the Guard regularly occurs at 11am on the parade ground in the Lower Ward (in front of St. George's Chapel). I don't think they do a ceremony on Sundays, though, so be aware of that if you book a trip here.




As you can tell, the sun was out in full force (as was the wind), so we can start taking better photos -- just for you.


The Round House is in the Middle Ward, a bailey formed around the "motte" (artificial hill) in the center of the ward. The hill is about 15 feet high and is made from chalk originally excavated from the surrounding ditch. The "castle keep," called the Round Tower, on the top of the hill is based on an original 12-century building, extended upwards in the early 19th century under architect Jeffry Wyatville by 30 feet to produce a more imposing height and silhouette. The Round Tower is far from being perfectly round, due to the shape and structure of the hill beneath it. Today the Round Tower accommodates the Royal Archives and the Royal Photograph Collection. At the base of the tower are residences for the constable and Governor.




We walked around to the left of this imposing structure to get to the State Apartments and Queen Mary's Dollhouse. Entrance to these buildings is included with your ticket. Rick figures most tourists go for the morning, tour these buildings once, watch the Changing of the Guard ceremony, and then leave. Well, we enjoyed touring the buildings so much that we went through them a SECOND time after lunch.





The Queen stays in the South Wing of the Upper Ward when she visits Windsor. (Needless to say, we weren't offered a tour of the Queen's private rooms. )




But now let's go into Queen Mary's Dollhouse.

No photography allowed, plus the room has very low light levels to protect the gorgeous miniature art work and furnishings. The doll house was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1924. Nearly every item in it was specially commissioned on a scale of 12:1. The mechanical and engineering equipment is made to work, including the water system, the electric lights and the two lifts. Can you imagine the fun the royal children had with this?

Here's a "photo of a photo" for your enjoyment. This is one of the miniature rooms.

[cindybelle]

The idea for building the dollhouse originally came from Queen Mary's cousin, Princess Marie Louise. One of Britain's top architects of the day, Sir Edwin Lutyens, agreed to construct the dollhouse. Princess Marie Louise had many connections in the arts and arranged for the top artists and craftsmen of the time to contribute their special abilities to the house. The result was created as a gift to Queen Mary from the people, and to serve as a historical document on how a royal family might live during the 1920s in England.

If there's a long line when you first arrive, try coming back after lunch. We toured it twice, and didn't have to wait at all in the afternoon.

"Photos of photos" of one side of the dollhouse. (You actually walk all the way around it -- there are spectacular rooms to be seen on all four sides of the structure. It's all behind protective glass, of course.)

[chezp]

I'm so glad it just wasn't me - I kept wondering why your report was the only one that wouldn't open for me this morning.

Great updates - I do love Windsor Castle, it's such a beautiful place and a lovely town as well.

[Colexis Mom]

Great pictures of Windsor Castle!

[cindybelle]

Over 160 people live within the precincts including the canons of the College of St. George, and the Military Knights. Over 200 people work at the castle, including maintenance staff, housekeepers, porters, a clockmaker, grooms and coachmen, furniture restorers, choristers, priests, policemen and soldiers, a flagman, wardens and other staff who present the castle to the public, librarians, curators, bookbinders, conservators and archivists. These numbers increase at Easter and in June when the Court relocates to Windsor.

As pedestrians, tourists need to be alert for vehicles, since so many people do call the grounds "home." It's fun to stand at the entrance gate to the grounds and watch the guard fence posts go up and town as Guards let residents and workers drive in & out.





These houses aren't actually on royal property -- these are beyond the walls of the castle.




My little boy is excited to be standing next to a cannon while listening to his audiotour.

[lauriep]

It's fun reading TRs of places I went to about 40 years ago-- most of the time, the places have changed a lot, but I'm glad to say I don't see any difference at all in Windsor and surroundings! When I was there I spent a long time looking at the doll house, and the gardens are so peaceful.

[cindybelle]

This is where we spent a lot of time, both before and after lunch. Again, no photography allowed. Queen Mary's Dollhouse is where most people begin this tour. Currently there's a special exhibit in honor of Prince Philip's 90th birthday -- it's really interesting. I didn't know he was one of Queen Victoria's great-grandsons. He's led an impressive life.

Then we went into the China Museum. Here's a "photo of a photo" that doesn't begin to convey how fascinating this room is. I absolutely loved seeing all the various sets of china and reading about where they came from (all over the world) and who used them and when.




And from there we headed from one incredible room into another. Many of the works of art are in the historic settings for which they were collected or commissioned by many monarchs, notably George IV. The Royal Collection is held by The Queen as Sovereign for her successors and the nation. The revenue from admissions to Windsor Castle is partly directed toward maintaining the fabric of the castle and the running of St. George's Chapel, and partly to the Royal Collection Trust, a charity that preserves the Collection and makes it as accessible as possible.

Oh, how I longed to but we dared not. One can only imagine the security system in there, plus there is generally a docent or guard in every room.

My favorite art object is in the Grand Vestibule. It's a marble statue that dominates the room and which has been displayed there since 1872. It shows Queen Victoria with her collie, Sharp. It was sculpted by Sir J.E. Boehm (1869-1872). I searched in vain the various gift shops but could not find the image. Also no luck on line. I've written to the Royal Press room to see if they would sell me an image of it. We shall see. . . .

In the meantime, we must content ourselves with more "photos of photos." I hope to whet your appetite to visit Windsor Castle on your own. This truly was our favorite thing.






We weren't asked to stay for dinner. Of course, we might not have been dressed appropriately.



"My" Queen Victoria sculpture was just around the corner from where the photographer must have stood to take the picture above.

[cindybelle]

You've got to see it yourself -- trust us!