history continued ...
Although Henry I (1100-1135) is recorded as having held court at Windsor in 1110, the castle was used primarily for defense purposes until
Henry II (1154-1189) rebuilt the castle in stone, concurrently adding extensive expansions for Windsor's use as a State residence.
The basic curtain wall and the Round Tower, or "keep" were also begun by Henry II. The tower was constructed on a mound raised by William
the conqueror and the time of the castle's foundation (some have argued that William the Conqueror's great Round Tower was built from stone
from the very beginning as the vast base on which it stands is a natural chalk mound and quite suitable to take the great weight of a
stone keep).
The Round Tower, which formed the central feature of the original fortress, was surrounded by walls, towers and a dry moat. Not perfectly
round, the tower's diameter measures from 94 feet to 103 feet and the top of the tower today stands 215 feet above the river Thames and 280
feet above sea level.
The castle suffered two sieges during the early period, the most serious of which was the baron's rebellion against King John in
1216 after he persuaded the Pope to annul the Magna Carta, the charter which ever since has affirmed the individual's right to justice and
liberty. the castle came under heavy attack for three months and its walls were badly damaged.
The early Hanoverian kings preferred Hampton Court Palace to Windsor; however, George III (1760-1820) initiated a Gothic conversion after
recovering from his first illness in 1789. For the first time, the Upper Ward State Apartments and precincts were regularly open to the
public. George IV (1820-1830) continued his father's Gothic conversion of the castle's exterior under the influence of artistic adviser
Sir John Long. The enhancement of the castle's silhouette was accomplished by raising the Round Tower, constructing additional towers
and battlements and the making of the King George IV Gateway under the supervision of architect James Wyatt. George IV took up residence
in Windsor Castle in 1828.
