Windsor castle how long did it take to build

All were less than 20 miles away from the Tower. Henry I was the first monarch to use the castle as a primary residence.

Henry II built extensively at Windsor between and He constructed the stone round tower in the middle ward as well as the stone outer walls on the upper ward. Henry III built the stone walls on the lower ward as well as three new towers between and He also built one of the first royal chapels at Windsor.

He spent a great deal of time and money converting Windsor Castle from a military fortress to a residential castle. Edward IV began St. When he came to the throne in , he lavished refurbished many palaces and castles, including Windsor. Samir Hussein Getty Images. The stunning Waterloo Chamber has been preserved to its originally glory.

Dan Kitwood Getty Images. Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, and several of their children posing for a portrait at Windsor Castle. It took 15 hours and 1. Tim Graham Getty Images. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses.

You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below. Created for From Veranda for Created by Veranda for. The site was originally chosen by William the Conqueror, because it was near the river Thames meaning easy access from London and was beside a Saxon hunting ground easy access to food.

Henry I lived in the castle, and his grandson Henry II later renovated it to include special royal apartments. Henry II was also responsible for upgrading the walls of Windsor Castle from timber to stone, which took 60 years in total. It is both a Royal Peculiar, a church under the direct jurisdiction of the monarch, and the Chapel of the Order of the Garter. Follow Metro across our social channels, on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram.

But approximately people live at the castle to help the royal family, well, live! And many have delightfully antiquated jobs. The royal family took advantage of this fact by secretly hiding in the castle. There, the windows were blacked out, the chandeliers were removed, and the bedrooms were reinforced. The girls, including the future Queen Elizabeth II, occasionally slept in the dungeon.

Windsor Castle is, first and foremost, a fortress—and it has proved to be a strong one. In the olden days, guards on standby warded off intruders with cascades of boiling oil and heavy stones.

In the s , during the Barons War, Windsor Castle successfully withstood a two-month siege.