Windsor Castle hosts siege activities from 24 October

Windsor Castle hosts A Castle under Siege activities from 24 October to 1 November 2026, giving visitors in Windsor a family programme built around the fortress’s medieval history. The event is based at the Pug Yard Learning Centre and around the castle precincts, with art activities and a children’s trail linked to the 1216 attack.

Castle siege activities run from 24 October to 1 November

The half-term programme uses creative activities to explore what happened when the castle came under siege more than 800 years ago. The organiser says visitors can look for signs of damage caused during the assault while moving through the precincts.

The programme also includes a children’s trail. Its route adds information about the castle as families continue their visit, connecting the activity to visible features and the wider history of the site. The event listing places the programme at the Pug Yard Learning Centre and around the castle precincts in Windsor.

The event listing confirms the 24 October to 1 November dates and identifies the castle as the venue. The wider visitor information also lists the activity for the same period.

Windsor Castle links the programme to its 1216 defence

William the Conqueror founded Windsor Castle in the eleventh century, and the site has since been home to 40 monarchs. It remains one of the official residences of the King and includes the State Apartments, St George’s Chapel and the Round Tower.

The programme focuses on the siege of 1216 during the First Barons’ War. Rebel English and French forces attacked the fortress after rebel barons invited Prince Louis of France to claim the English throne. A royalist garrison held the castle despite siege engines, mining tactics and serious damage to parts of the Lower Ward.

That history gives the family activities a direct connection to the building. The children’s trail does not treat the siege as a distant story alone, because the event listing points visitors towards surviving signs of the damage within the castle precincts. The Royal Collection Trust describes the castle’s development from a Norman fortress into a royal residence across almost a thousand years.

Further historical context is available in the Royal Collection Trust history, which records building work beginning around 1070 and the later replacement of timber defences with stone.

Visiting Windsor Castle: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• A Castle under Siege takes place from 24 October to 1 November 2026 at the Pug Yard Learning Centre and around the castle precincts.
• The programme adds art activities and a children’s trail to a castle visit. The event is included with a castle ticket or a one-year pass.
• Windsor Castle stands in Windsor, Berkshire. The nearest railway stations are Windsor and Eton Central and Windsor and Eton Riverside.
• The visitor route includes historic defensive features such as battlements, towers, arrow loops and murder holes, so the programme connects with substantial medieval architecture rather than a separate exhibition space.

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Frequently asked questions about Windsor Castle

When do A Castle under Siege activities take place at Windsor Castle?

The programme runs from 24 October to 1 November 2026 at the Pug Yard Learning Centre and around the castle precincts.

What happened during the siege linked to Windsor Castle?

The 1216 siege took place during the First Barons’ War, when rebel English and French forces failed to capture the fortress.

Where is Windsor Castle and how do you get there?

The castle is in Windsor, Berkshire. Rail travellers can use Windsor and Eton Central or Windsor and Eton Riverside stations.