Windsor Castle is the oldest royal residence in Britain. The site on which the current castle is built was chosen by William the Conqueror in 1066 for a fortress. He chose to site for strategic purposes. The area, located on a hill, was near the river Thames and a Saxon hunting ground. The Tower of London, William’s London fortress, was a day’s walk away. The Windsor fortress was intended to guard against any western attacks on the capital.
Building on the fortress began in the 1070s. The outer walls of the present castle and the central mound that supports the Round Tower and the Upper Ward are in the same position as William’s fortress.
Improvements and Expansion
Successive monarchs expanded and improved the castle through the years. During his reign, King Henry II rebuilt the Round Tower, the outer walls and royal apartments of the Upper Ward and the Lower Ward using stone to replace the original wood. In the late 1360, Edward III extended the castle.
