<P> Originally designed to protect Norman dominance around the outskirts of London and oversee a strategically important part of the River Thames, Windsor Castle was built as a motte - and - bailey, with three wards surrounding a central mound . Gradually replaced with stone fortifications, the castle withstood a prolonged siege during the First Barons' War at the start of the 13th century . Henry III built a luxurious royal palace within the castle during the middle of the century, and Edward III went further, rebuilding the palace to make an even grander set of buildings in what would become "the most expensive secular building project of the entire Middle Ages in England". Edward's core design lasted through the Tudor period, during which Henry VIII and Elizabeth I made increasing use of the castle as a royal court and centre for diplomatic entertainment . </P> <P> Windsor Castle survived the tumultuous period of the English Civil War, when it was used as a military headquarters by Parliamentary forces and a prison for Charles I . At the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, Charles II rebuilt much of Windsor Castle with the help of the architect Hugh May, creating a set of extravagant Baroque interiors that are still admired . After a period of neglect during the 18th century, George III and George IV renovated and rebuilt Charles II's palace at colossal expense, producing the current design of the State Apartments, full of Rococo, Gothic and Baroque furnishings . Queen Victoria made a few minor changes to the castle, which became the centre for royal entertainment for much of her reign . Windsor Castle was used as a refuge by the royal family during the Luftwaffe bombing campaigns of the Second World War and survived a fire in 1992 . It is a popular tourist attraction, a venue for hosting state visits, and the preferred weekend home of Elizabeth II . </P> <P> Windsor Castle occupies 13 acres (5.3 ha), and combines the features of a fortification, a palace, and a small town . The present - day castle was created during a sequence of phased building projects, culminating in the reconstruction work after a fire in 1992 . It is in essence a Georgian and Victorian design based on a medieval structure, with Gothic features reinvented in a modern style . Since the 14th century, architecture at the castle has attempted to produce a contemporary reinterpretation of older fashions and traditions, repeatedly imitating outmoded or even antiquated styles . As a result, architect Sir William Whitfield has pointed to Windsor Castle's architecture as having "a certain fictive quality", the Picturesque and Gothic design generating "a sense that a theatrical performance is being put on here", despite late 20th century efforts to expose more of the older structures to increase the sense of authenticity . Although there has been some criticism, the castle's architecture and history lends it a "place amongst the greatest European palaces". </P> <P> At the heart of Windsor Castle is the Middle Ward, a bailey formed around the motte or artificial hill in the centre of the ward . The motte is 50 feet (15 m) high and is made from chalk originally excavated from the surrounding ditch . The keep, called the Round Tower, on the top of the motte is based on an original 12th - century building, extended upwards in the early 19th century under architect Jeffry Wyatville by 30 ft (9 m) to produce a more imposing height and silhouette . The interior of the Round Tower was further redesigned in 1991--3 to provide additional space for the Royal Archives, an additional room being built in the space left by Wyatville's originally hollow extension . The Round Tower is in reality far from cylindrical, due to the shape and structure of the motte beneath it . The current height of the tower has been criticised as being disproportionate to its width; archaeologist Tim Tatton - Brown, for example, has described it as a mutilation of the earlier medieval structure . </P>

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