Windsor castle

The chief residence of the English royal house and the largest inhabited castle in the world, Windsor Castle stands on a low hill on the South bank of the Thames with the shops and houses of the town of Windsor coming up to the gates. Away to the south stretches Windsor Great Park, reached from the castle by the Long Walk; to the east, Home Park runs down to the river. The calm and elegant beauty of the setting, and he markedly residential character of the mighty curtain wall and its towers, the visitor may be tempted to forget the original purpose of the place and to think only of the chivalry and pomp of its later history. And yet, apart from the Tower of London, this was the main stronghold of the first Norman kings of England.

The first castle on the site was built by William the Conqueror, probably about 1070, as part of his programme of consolidation of the victory at Hastings some four years before. The castle of the invaders were soon springing up in every English shire; Windsor was built to defend the approach to the capital down the Thames Valley. The site was protected to the north by the river and by the sharp slope of its hill, and was little more than a good day’s march from London.

King William’s castle was of the motte and bailey type, the natural strength of the site being reinforced by the great earth mound or “motte” above which rose a wooden tower. Most of the Norman’s immediate post-conquest castles were of this type, since it was quick and simple to erect and offered adequate security against the disorganized and demoralized local opposition which was all the conquerors anticipated. Today, despite centuries of development, the fortress palace still centers on the original primitive mound, tough the Round Tower which now surmounts it is characterized by Georgian Gothic of the early 19^th century.

Notes:

chief residence – главнаф резиденция

to tempt – соблазнять

chivalry – рыцари, рыцарство

invaders -завоеватели

slope of the hill – склон холма

to anticipate – опасаться, ожтдать, предугадывать

mount -холм, возвыщенность

EXERCISES

1. Переведите на русский язык:

Windsor Great Park, the Long Walk, Home Park, to forget the original purpose, William the Conqueror, probably about 1070, programme of consolidation, English shire, Thames Valley, Georgian Gothic

2. Выпишите из текста предложения, содержащие следующие словосочетания и переведите их на русский язык:

The calm and elegant beauty of the setting, residential character, the victory at Hastings, the site was protected, centuries of development.

3. Составьте предложения со следующими словами и словосочетаниями:

Inhabited castle, to run down to the river, to defend, to be of this type, to erect

4. Ответьте на следующие вопросы:

1. Where is the main residence of the English royal house situated? How is it called?

2. When was it built?

3. What was the main aim of Winsdor?

4. Why is it sometimes called King William’s castle?