The merry whiles of Windsor

Mar 15 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

Sarah Batley enjoys a break following in the footsteps of Royalty

ALMOST 1,000 years ago, William the Conqueror paused at the edge of a Saxon hunting ground, on a hill overlooking the Thames, and decided it would be a good place to build a castle – just a day’s march from London and ideal for guarding the capital’s western approaches.

Today William’s castle still stands, a bit bigger than he first intended, added to over the centuries by the sovereigns who’ve made it their home – the bodies of 10 lie at St George’s Chapel in the castle grounds.

After nine centuries of standing firm against invaders it finally fell victim to attack when in 1992, a paint restorer’s halogen lamp set fire to a curtain in the north-east corner. Flames tore through the ancient building, damaging or destroying more than 100 rooms.

Following restoration, the only onslaught the rooms now face is the daily tide of visitors who come and wonder at the Royal collection of paintings, furniture and china.

Despite being more a democrat than royalist, I love looking around art galleries and many displays elsewhere cross-reference art treasures in the Royal Collection. There’s a fair few of its masterpieces on show at Windsor: here a Rembrandt, there a Rubens, look up for a Holbein, spot a Canaletto, Gainsborough or Van Dyck.

One of Windsor’s earliest inns, standing right across the road, was the Garter, after the Order of the Garter (founded by Edward III in 1348), and another was the White Harte, named for the emblem of his successor Richard II. The inns were popular with actors appearing at court – the Garter was the setting for Falstaff in Shakespeare’s Merry Wives. They were also ravaged by fire and in the 19th century rebuilt as a single hotel.

Last year the hotel was given another facelift when it was bought by hotelier and art-lover Nicholas Crawley. He’s also added a spa but has kept many of the original features, such as the Victorian stained glass windows depicting Shakespeare characters.

After checking-in and being shown to our tastefully furnished room, we stopped off at the hotel’s brasserie for an early lunch before tackling the castle tour.

We walked up Jubilee Hill into the castle and through gardens studded with specimen trees and plants chosen by Chelsea Show medallist Tom Stuart-Smith.

First we saw Queen Mary’s dolls house, a massive construction: it’s hard to envisage a child playing with it. But the attention to detail gives a peek into life decades ago – the maid’s room, laundry room, cars and prams.

The drawing gallery, where usually there’s a wonderful collection of cartoons and sketches by the greats of the art world, was partially given over to a display on 160 years of Royal weddings from Queen Victoria to Elizabeth.

In May it will be replaced with a Prince Charles exhibition, which illustrates key moments in his life and reflects his interests, particularly music, theatre and the arts. Family photographs, favourite books and childhood memorabilia will be on show, alongside watercolours painted by the Prince.

The castle itself houses a warren of rooms, all richly decorated. And there are enough guns, swords, fine furniture and even finer bone china from State occasions on display to satisfy the most ardent royalist.

From October to March, visitors can also enjoy George IV’s private apartments (the Semi-State Rooms), which have some of the castle’s most-decorated walls.

Sadly we didn’t spot any famous faces peeking out from the windows or marching across the lawns in the private areas. After touring the castle we crashed out in the hotel before finding enough energy to explore Eton and its old antique shops. We picked up some old prints as birthday presents for relatives, but passed on the tempting bistros there.

Instead we enjoyed a first-class evening meal in the Harte & Garter’s Tower restaurant, with an Australian Riesling suggested by our helpful waitress.

The next day, after checking out, we decided to burn off the hearty breakfast with a stroll around the Savill Garden, a 20-minute drive away on the eastern edge of Windsor great park. The garden’s 35 acres of trees and shrubbery show England’s woodlands at their finest.

The modern-styled centre, which houses a Pru Leith cafe plus shop, gallery and toilets, sits well with the garden’s design.

So I guess you don’t have to be a monarchist to enjoy a visit to Royal Windsor – and it doesn’t cost a king’s ransom to stay there.

SARAH BATLEY stayed at four-star Harte & Garter in Windsor (01753 863426 or www.harteandgarter.com). Room only from £140 per night (based on two sharing double room at a weekend) Windsor Castle (www.royalcollection.org.uk) is open all year (March to October, 9.45am-5.15pm). Changing of the guard daily from Easter. Entry £14.80, under 17s, £8.50.