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Windsor, Village
Windsor was delightfully situated in the county of Berkshire, twenty two miles west of London, on the verdant banks of the mild and gentle River Thames; which, from its serpentine course in this part of it, was, in King Edward the Confessor's charter, termed Windlesora, (the Winding Shore) hence, in time, it was called Windsor.
The elegant Windsor Town had grown through the ages as a direct consequence of the castle, taking its name from what came to be known as Old Windsor which was further down in the countryside, completely cut off from its colony. The new Windsor Town was created exclusively in response to the castle. All its citizens worked in the castle, made goods for the castle or provided housing for its guests and family of its inhabitants.
The Town of Windsor consisted of six principal streets:
Nell Gwynn owned a merry house just off High Street that ended up at the King's Gate. She set a trend for the gentle but common visitors of the castle. The town also provided some rare pleasures that could not be found inside the large walls. The coffeehouse had been a large attraction but along with the coffee houses in London it had been closed on orders of Charles II who feared the seditious and rebellious discussions in such a place.
Windsor was a rich town and it showed in the colourful fronts of the many shops that begged the visitors to stop.
