Eton College

Eton College Review

Signs warn drivers of "Boys Crossing" as you approach the splendid Tudor-style buildings of Eton College, the distinguished boarding school for boys ages 13 through 18 that was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI. It's all terrifically photogenic, because during the college semester students still dress in pin-striped trousers, swallow-tailed coats, and stiff collars. Rivaling St. George's at Windsor in terms of size, the Gothic Chapel contains superb fifteenth-century grisaille wall paintings juxtaposed against modern stained glass by John Piper. Beyond the cloisters are the school's playing fields where, according to the duke of Wellington, the Battle of Waterloo was really won, since so many of his officers had learned discipline and strategy during their school days. Among the country's prime ministers to be educated here is David Cameron. The Museum of Eton Life has displays on the school's history and vignettes of school life.