Would appreciate recommendations for a place to eat dinner within walking distance of the castle. Also, any interesting shopping precincts close by as well?

There are plenty of shops near the Castle, as well as the complex where the Windsor Central rail station is.

The Horse and Groom is a nice pub just across the street from the castle. It was the only pub we visited in the UK that had steak and kidney pie. I had the steak and kidney and DH had the shepherd's pie. Both were delicious. Of course, we went in the evening after all the tourists were gone, don't know what its like during the day.

http://www.windsor.gov.uk/

this site has sections on 'shopping' 'restaurants' and a lot of neat info.

Windsor has an especially nice pedestrian shopping zone stretching west from the castle area - oft very thronged.

If you have time i would advise a stroll up in the Windsor Great Park - just a half mile or so you then get a glorious view of the mammoth castle on its hill you do not get from town itself - indeed the main photo of the castle on the http://www.windsor.gov.uk/ site must have been taken from here. also neat picnic place - lots of dog walkers, etc. to people watch.

And don't forget the Eating component of restaurants on the Windsor side of the Thames - i mean Eton - just over the hump-backed stone bridge over the Thames - there may well be nice interesting restaurants (and pubs i do know from personal experience) - as well as the ornate college closes, etc.

http://www.etoncollege.com/

http://www.ntopsearch.com/VisitBrita...ntentID=648765

>>indeed the main photo of the castle on the http://www.windsor.gov.uk/ site must have been taken from here.<<

Nope, looks more like the view from the west on the northern bank of the river.

We also had lunch at the Horse & Groom pub. Food & service were excellent. Plenty of shopping nearby.

There are quite a few places to eat close to the castle. If you head towards the railway station that has been converted (opposite the castle) it has loads of shops and there are restaurants there.

There is nowhere to eat or drink within the castle but if you want to leave and come back again (eg. pop out for a cup of tea or a sandwich for lunch) the friendly people at the gate will give you a wristband that you show to gain entry again. You must get this before you leave the castle grounds. It is removed when you re-enter.

Kay

Gordon - weird i suspect they have a constantly changing picture on the windsor.gov.uk site - when i went now to look there was a whole different picture - a fairly close up that indeed seems to be a tad south from along the path in the tip of Windsor Great park - but when i posted before there was a photo of all of the castle on its hill from further away - it may well have been as you say but there is a different picture there now (unless i somehow mixed up sites?)

Eton sounds interesting. We are staying in Travelodge right near the castle so we should be able to walk there easily. Thanks for the ideas everyone......we'll hopefully be able to stay awake all day to get over the jet lag.

Eton is a lovely town to visit. It is possible to tour parts of Eton college as well for a few euros if you are interested. Depending on the day of the week etc, you will see the students pedalling their bikes into the town. We spent a day at Windsor Castle and Eton and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.