Visit Windsor and Eton with Anne Bartlett accredited Blue Badge Tour Guide for Windsor Castle.

Windsor Castle:  Let me show you a stunning Royal Palace, an official residence of HM The Queen.  We can also visit St George's Chapel, home of The Garter Knights. The Noble Order of the Garter is Britain's oldest order of Chivalry, founded by Edward III in 1348.

There is so much to see here, so I recommend at least a three hour visit.  There are five main areas to see.

1.  The Castle Exhibition.
2.  The State Apartments, and all the wonderful works of art that are on display.
3.  The Semi-State Rooms (open between October and March) these rooms were created by  George IV in 1820's in his flamboyant style for his personal use.  They were badly damaged during the fire in 1992 and have been faithfully restored to their original appearance. 
4.  Changing Exhibitions in The Drawings Gallery which includes paintings, photographs, drawings and other material from the Royal Archives. 
5.  St George's Chapel, one of the finest ecclesiastical buildings in England.

Also in the castle there's Queen Mary's Dolls House designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and includes the work of 1,500 craftsmen.  Each small room is lavishly furnished, and is a great historical record of an ideal 1920's style house.  It was built with all the latest "mod cons" electric lights and two working lifts as well as a plumbing system complete with water taps and flushing toilets.   Everything from the table settings by Royal Doulton, Minton and Wedgewood to the library of books containing works by Charles Dickens, J.M. Barrie, Rudyard Kipling and other famous authors to paintings commission by well known artists. All are exquisitely made on a scale of 1 to 12. 

The castle is open throughout the year with the exception of Garter Day, Good Friday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.  As the castle is an official residence of HM The Queen opening arrangements can change if there is a Royal occasion taking place.

Eton:  Just across the River Thames from the town of Windsor is the historic High Street of Eton, both places are connected by a footbridge, so they are within easy walking distance of each other and both are well worth exploring.  Eton dates back to Saxon times and the 7th century name means "a settlement on an island," is home to the most famous school in the world. Eton College was founded in 1440 and has educated 18 former English Prime Ministers including Walpole, Pitt, Gray and Wellington.  Other famous people include Shelley, Sir John Herschel and Sir Joseph Banks. Recently the Princes William and Harry, sons of The Prince of Wales and grandsons of The Queen, were at school there from the age of 13 until they were 18 years old. 

Let me guide you around this interesting old town and show you the school that has educated so many famous people.

Other places we can visit:

Savill Gardens, Windsor Great Park: 35 acres of beautiful ornamental gardens begun in the 1930's by Sir Eric Savill.

Runnymede:  King John sealed the Magna Carta here in 1215.  The American Constitution is based on the Magna Carta and there is a memorial on the hillside erected by the American Bar Association in 1957.  Also a memorial to the memory of the assasinated American President - John F. Kennedy, on land given by the Queen.  As well as an Air Forces memorial to "the men and women of the Air Forces of The British Commonwealth who lost their lives during the Second World War and who have no known grave."