England
Day Trip
Windsor & Runnymede
Berkshire & Surrey, England
Berkshire & Surrey, England
Just 25 miles west of central London, Windsor and Runnymede together offer one of the most historically resonant half-day or full-day combinations within easy coach reach of the capital. Windsor Castle is the world's largest and oldest occupied castle — a working royal palace that has been continuously inhabited since William the Conqueror built the first wooden fortress here in 1070. Runnymede, three miles downstream along the River Thames, is the meadow where King John sealed the Magna Carta in June 1215 — a document that established for the first time the principle that the King was subject to the rule of law, and which directly influenced constitutions from the United States to Australia.
Windsor town itself — with its Georgian streets, excellent independent shops and restaurants, and the famous Long Walk stretching three miles through Windsor Great Park from the Castle gates — adds further depth to what is an outstanding half-day or full-day group itinerary.
About This Destination
Visit Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world and official residence of the British Royal Family. Just a short drive away lies Runnymede, where the Magna Carta was sealed in 1215 — a truly regal group day out.
Windsor Castle's State Apartments contain one of the finest collections of royal art and treasure anywhere in the world — Rembrandt, Rubens, Van Dyck, Holbein and Canaletto hang in rooms furnished with extraordinary opulence. The semi-state rooms, redecorated for King Charles III, offer a contemporary perspective on royal ceremonial life. St George's Chapel, completed in 1528, is one of the finest examples of late Gothic Perpendicular architecture in England and the burial place of ten monarchs including Henry VIII, Charles I, George VI and Queen Elizabeth II.
The Changing of the Guard at Windsor Castle occurs most days and is a spectacular and free spectacle — the Foot Guards march from Victoria Barracks to the Castle at 11am, accompanied by the regimental band. For groups, viewing from Castle Hill provides the best vantage point. Arrival by 10:30am secures a good position.
Runnymede's significance in British constitutional history is extraordinary. The Magna Carta — actually a practical negotiated settlement between King John and his rebellious barons in 1215 — established the principle that the King was subject to the law, guaranteed due legal process and limited arbitrary taxation. These principles, carried to the American colonies and enshrined in the US Constitution and Bill of Rights, make Runnymede a place of genuine global historical importance that resonates as strongly with American groups as with British ones.
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Day trip
Distance
~25 miles
Country
England
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