Windsor (Berkshire)
| Windsor | |||
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| Coordinates | 51 ° 29 ′ N , 0 ° 37 ′ W | ||
| OS National Grid | SU965765 | ||
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| Residents | 26,885 (as of 2001) | ||
| administration | |||
| Post town | WINDSOR | ||
| ZIP code section | SL4 | ||
| prefix | 01753 | ||
| Part of the country | England | ||
| region | South East England | ||
| Ceremonial county | Berkshire | ||
| Unitary authority | Windsor and Maidenhead | ||
| British Parliament | Windsor | ||
Windsor [ ˈwɪnzə ] is a town in the English county of Berkshire . It is located on the Thames and borders south-west London . The city has a population of 28,324 and is part of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead . The name is an abbreviation of Windleshore (meaning: river bank with a winch). The name House Windsor of the British royal family , which has been valid since 1917, is derived from the place .
Buildings
Windsor is home to Windsor Castle , one of the official residences of the British royal family, and Frogmore House , a former residence. For this reason, Windsor, while only a small town, has two train stations, a theater and a number of hotels. Another attraction is the Legoland theme park , which was built in 1996 on the site of a previous safari park. Windsor is across from Eton , separated by the Thames. The Windsor Bridge, which spans the river, is now only passable for pedestrians.
Also noteworthy is the Windsor Parish Church of St John Baptist . This church was built on the foundations of a previous building according to plans by the architect Charles Hollis and was inaugurated in 1822 by the Bishop of Salisbury . The Tudor-style church received its pulpit and apse in 1870 , both designed by Samuel S. Teulon. In the interior there is a painting by the Rostock-born British court painter Franz de Cleyn (1582–1658) depicting the Last Supper . It was previously in St. George's Church in Windsor. The wedding between Camilla Parker Bowles and Prince Charles took place in St John .
Like every place, Windsor also has a town hall, which stands on the market and presents an open arcade. The Royal Library and Cambridge Gate are also structures in place.
history
The founding of Windsor goes back to the time of the Anglo-Saxons . The place grew quickly due to its location on the Thames and thus on the then main artery between London and central England. In the Domesday Book of 1086, Windsor is listed as a place with a few hundred inhabitants, already a larger settlement for that time. William the Conqueror added Windsor to his personal lands.
At first there was only the settlement Windlesore (Old Windsor). However, William built a castle, Windsor Castle, near the Clewer settlement. The castle attracted a number of people over time, which is why a new settlement slowly formed around Windsor Castle. The castle, which was initially made of wood, was rebuilt from stones in the 11th century and was rebuilt by the kings Heinrich II. (1154–1189) and Heinrich III. (1212–1272) expanded and reinforced.
In 1277 Windsor received a charter from the king , which guaranteed the residents various rights and allowed the traders to join together in a guild . A market was held weekly. Since 1350, fairs have also been held twice a year .
After a period of decline in the 15th century, Windsor regained importance in the 16th century. Construction of St. George's Chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle began under the reign of King Edward IV (1416–1483), but was only completed in 1528 during the reign of King Henry VIII .
During the English Civil War , Windsor was occupied by parliamentary troops in 1642 . An attempt by the royalists to retake Windsor and the castle complex in October of the same year failed. Windsor remained in the hands of the MPs until the end of the war.
By the end of the 16th century, Windsor had over 2,000 residents; In 1801 there were 3,361. By 1851 the population had doubled (6,734), and by the end of the 19th century there were more than 9,000 people in Windsor.
The Industrial Revolution of the 19th century, which changed many English cities significantly, passed Windsor by. In 1844 a rail link between Windsor and London was opened.
The city of Windsor is shaped by tourism and banking and financial services companies. Many residents commute to Slough or London.
traffic
Road and rail connections
Windsor is connected to the UK motorway network via the M4 motorway. Trains run from Windsor and Eton Central Station to Slough (from where Paddington in London is reached) and to Maidenhead and Bristol . Direct trains run from Windsor and Eton Riverside Station to London Waterloo Station . Both stations were built in the 19th century by two competing rail companies to give Queen Victoria the opportunity to get to Windsor by train. The former station then received this privilege from her.
Museum train
The Queen locomotive on the special train that Queen Victoria used to travel on is parked at Windsor & Eton Central Station .
Personalities
- William Palmer (1882–1967), walker
- Eric Nares (1892–1947), Major General, Commander of the British Sector of Berlin
- Pete Chilver (1924–2008), jazz guitarist and hotelier
- Hugh Thomas (1931-2017), historian
- Charles R. Alcock (* 1951), astronomer
- Andrew Weatherall (1963-2020), record producer and DJ
- Chesney Hawkes (* 1971), pop singer and film actor
- Claire Williams (* 1976), Deputy Team Principal at Williams F1
- Dhani Harrison (* 1978), musician
- James Haskell (born 1985), rugby player
- Ollie Hancock (b.1987), racing driver
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Information from an eight-page information sheet on the parish church of John the Baptist (as of May 1999).