‘I-Spy Guide to Windsor’, by Beryl Hedges

– A book review by the WLHG

Published in Windlesora 06 (1987)

© WLHG

The tourist with but a few hours to spare will be glad of this brief, but attractively produced guide to Windsor; but there is a great deal more to this slim booklet than first meets the eye. Upon closer inspection it will be found to be packed with information, not only on Windsor itself, but also on the surrounding district.

A short history of the Castle and its Royal occupants is followed by a tour of the Castle and an explanation of the Changing of the Guard and the regiments of the Guards Division. There then follow details of walks which may be taken in and around Windsor, and within the Great Park. A brief chapter on Eton College is followed by suggestions for visits further afield including Runnymede, Stoke Poges, Cookham and Jordans.

The book is well illustrated in both colour and monochrome, and whilst many are familiar, as will be inevitable in this type of guide, there are some old favourites in new guises; I particularly like the view of the West front of St George’s Chapel, and Queen Victoria (seemingly) blessing the troops. The maps and plans of the Castle precincts, Great Park and Savill Garden are useful and are well drawn, but the chart of Royal descent loses some of its value due to the size of the print.

This booklet will doubtless whet the appetite of many tourists who will realise that Windsor cannot be ‘done’ in half a day; but it is also an invaluable source book for schools and should be recommended for project work, or indeed for local residents who rarely visit the ‘sights’ millions of others travel the world to see.

Published by Ravette Ltd. (1986) in Paperback (60pp) at £1.95; ISBN 0 948456 00 0

Valerie Bonham