Royal Windsor and Runnymede

The castle is chiefly known (at least in the present day) as the favourite weekend residence of the Queen. That, and Windsor’s close proximity to Heathrow, Eton and Guard’s Polo Club at Smith’s Lawn, makes this historical town a much visited place. The castle’s first foundations were laid by William the Conqueror in the decade after his invasion of 1066, and have since undergone several alterations under the direction of different monarchs. Unfortunately, it costs a fair amount to see the interior of the castle, and so on this visit I satisfied my curiosity with ‘preliminary’ shots of it’s exterior, – a more in-depth visit may occur some time in the future.

Runnymede

A few miles down the river from Windsor is Runnymede, which in 1215 bore witness to
the sealing of the Magna Carta by King John. The area harbours several monuments and commemorative memorials, which is a reflection not only of its beauty and tranquillity, but underpins its historical association with ideals of limitation of power, democracy and freedom. The Air Forces War Memorial, dedicated by Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in 1953, and overlooking a particularly sweeping vista of the ‘meadow’ and country beyond, held great importance to me.