Castle · Windsor, United Kingdom
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, about 25 miles (40 km) west of central London. Built 1070.
Photo: Diliff via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Windsor, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Type | Castle |
| Built | 1070 |
| Architect | Hugh May |
| Elevation | Elevation: 54.86 m |
| Coordinates | 51.4839° N, 0.6044° W |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Windsor Castle is known for
Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, about 25 miles (40 km) west of central London.
About Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, about 25 miles (40 km) west of central London. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history. The original castle was built in the 11th century, after the Norman invasion of England by William the Conqueror.
History
11th and 12th centuries Windsor Castle was originally commissioned by William the Conqueror in the decade after the Norman Conquest of 1066. William established a defensive ring of motte-and-bailey castles around London; each was a day's march – about 20 miles (32 km) – from the City and from the next castle, allowing for easy reinforcements in a crisis. Windsor Castle, one of this ring of fortifications, was strategically important because of its proximity to both the River Thames, a key medieval route into London, and Windsor Forest, a royal hunting preserve previously used by the Saxon kings.
Planning a visit? Visit the official Windsor Castle website — the official site has the current visiting information.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Windsor |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | London Heathrow Airport (LHR) |
| Distance from the airport | 6.6 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- London Heathrow Airport (LHR) · London, United Kingdom · 6.3 miles away
- London Luton Airport (LTN) · Luton, Luton, United Kingdom · 28.8 miles away
- London Gatwick Airport (LGW) · London, United Kingdom · 29.4 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in United Kingdom
More castles
Frequently asked questions
What is Windsor Castle?
Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, about 25 miles (40 km) west of central London.
Where is Windsor Castle located?
Windsor Castle is in Windsor, United Kingdom. Its coordinates are 51.4839° N, 0.6044° W.
How do I get to Windsor Castle?
The nearest town is Windsor, and the nearest airport is London Heathrow Airport (LHR), about 6.6 miles away (straight line).
When was Windsor Castle built?
Windsor Castle was built 1070.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windsor_Castle — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q42646 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://www.rct.uk/visit/windsorcastle — Official website of the landmark / managing body.
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.