Windsor in historic gazetteers

Gazetteer of the British Isles (Edinburgh: Bartholomew, 1887). John Bartholomew

Windsor (New), parl. and mun. bor. and par., Berks, on river Thames. 21¼ miles W. of London by rail - par., 2583 ac., pop. 7831; mun. bor. (comprising parts of New Windsor and Clewer pars.), 2702 ac., pop. 12,273; parl. bor. (including further part of Clewer, also the greater part of Eton par., Bucks), 3253 ac., pop. 19,082; 2 Banks, 2 newspapers. Market-days, Wednesday and Saturday. Windsor (properly called New Windsor, to distinguish it from the ancient village of Old Windsor, 2 miles SE.) is situated on the right bank of the Thames, and communicates by a bridge with Eton, which is included in the parl. bor. It is connected with the Great Western Ry. by a branch from Slough, and with the London and South-western Ry. by a branch from Staines. It has barracks for cavalry and infantry, and mfrs. of tapestry, but it owes all its importance to the Castle, which is the principal royal residence in the kingdom. Windsor Castle stands to the E. of the town, on a lofty chalk bluff which overhangs the bend of the river. Begun probably by Henry I., it has been added to and improved by almost every successive sovereign. Its principal features are the Round Tower, the great terraces, the old State apartments, and St George's Chapel, where the Knights of the Garter are installed, and in vaults of which lie Henry VI., Edward IV., Henry VIII., and Charles I. The parks contain many ancient and famous trees. In the Little or Home Park is Frogmore, with the mausoleum of the Prince Consort; in the Great Park are the Long Walk (an avenue of elms, 3 miles in length, running to Snow Hill, on which is an equestrian statue of George III.), Cumberland Lodge, and Virginia Water, the largest artificial lake in England. Windsor was incorporated by Edward I. It returns 1 member to Parl.; it regularly returned 2 members from Henry VI. until 1867.