Windsor Ablaze!: The Windsor Castle Fire and Restoration, Ten Years On
By Alexandra M. Brown & Charles Chapman

Price: £9.99

This covers the  story of the fire and subsequent restoration of Windsor Castle and its consequences for today’s monarchy, with fascinating descriptions of the Castle and the restoration process.

An exciting and informative account of the events surrounding the Windsor Castle fire of 1992. The book briefly explores the history of the Castle and discusses its role as the oldest royal residence in continuous use since its original construction by William the Conqueror in the 1070s. The section on how the fire started, in a small room, and the means by way it spread so quickly in spaces under ceilings is interesting, but the real eye opener is the dedication of staff and fire fighters as they fought to save as much historical material as possible.

There are details of delays caused by confusion and the outside fire service being called when there was a small trained unit on hand.

The restoration takes up a chunk of the book and in particular it shows how opportunities were taken to enhance the building and not just replace like with like. The fire led to the discovery of several architectural gems of great importance to British historians, including 17th-century frescos by the Italian artist Antonio Verrio, one of the oldest windows in Britain with its original glass still in place, and a 14th-century undercroft.This particular area has been opened up andit is quite clear that the castle has been reinvigorated by thiswhole process.

About the Author

In 1996 Alexandra M. Brown and Charles Chapman launched a monthly magazine called Windsor This Month and have been dealing with the Royal Family and the Windsor Castle ever since.

The fascinating story of the dramatic fire, the historic restoration process it engendered and the aftermath is perfectly documented in Chapman’s pictures and reflected in Brown’s rich descriptions.