On Tour: Statues, Memorials, and Hidden Spots in Slough and Windsor

During our visit to Windsor Castle we also stopped to see some other notable objects, 

memorials and statues in Slough and Windsor.

Slough

William Herschel Memorial

This sculpture honours the famous German-British astronomer and musician Sir William Herschel (1738–1822), who discovered the planet Uranus and lived in Slough for much of his life. 

It was created in 1969 by sculptor Franta Belsky, and marks the general area associated with Observatory House on Herschel Street, where Herschel lived and operated his world-famous 40-foot telescope.

Slough & Windsor Railway Society

The Slough & Windsor Railway Society is an educational charity and active social hub formed in 1983. It brings together railway history buffs, model rail builders, and transport enthusiasts from across the local area. 

The club meets in a distinctive single-storey, 19th-century Victorian wooden building known affectionately as 'The Manor'. Originally built by the Great Western Railway, the building is nestled within the boundaries of the Grade II listed Slough railway station complex.

Following a major restoration completed around 2021, it is painted in the traditional Great Western Railway livery colours of 'Light Stone' and 'Dark Stone'.

'Station Jim'

Born in the 1890s, Station Jim arrived at Slough as a three-month-old puppy and quickly became a Victorian railway legend. Fitted with a collection box and harness, he charmed passengers across the station, barking with delight at each donation and performing tricks in aid of the Great Western Railway Widows and Orphans Fund.

When he died on November 19 1896, Jim was lovingly preserved alongside his original collection box, serving as a lasting testament to the affection of the countless travellers who knew him.

As part of the Railway 200 celebrations in 2025, Jim was carefully restored to his former glory. Thanks to the Great Western Railway, Museums Partnership Reading, Arts Council England, and the Aldama Foundation, he will continue to inspire charitable giving from his new display cabinet for many years to come.

Windsor

Queen Charlotte Street

The street is named after Queen Charlotte, the wife of King George III. Local history credits her with introducing the popular tradition of decorating full Christmas trees to Britain after she threw a festive holiday party for Windsor's children inside Windsor Castle in 1800.

Queen Charlotte Street, which is 15.8 metres (51' 10") in length, is recorded as the shortest street in Britain. 

The Crooked House of Windsor

The Crooked House of Windsor, historically known as the Market Cross House, is a famous Grade II listed commercial building located at 51 High Street in Windsor, England, standing at a striking, gravity-defying slant. Located just a short walk from Windsor Castle, it is widely celebrated as one of the quirkiest architectural landmarks in the UK.

However, the house was not originally built crooked. Its bizarre appearance is the result of a 17th-century bureaucratic blunder and a hasty spite-build. 

The structure was first erected straight and sturdy in 1592 at the edge of Windsor's market square, functioning as a standard butchery. Nearly a century later, in 1687, the local town council ordered the building demolished to clear space for the construction of the neighbouring Windsor Guildhall. The property owner sued the council over land rights. 

In a shocking twist for the era, the court ruled against the council, declaring the demolition illegal and ordering them to rebuild the house exactly where it stood. Fuming at the verdict and wanting to finish the job as cheaply and quickly as possible, the council's builders reconstructed the house using unseasoned "green oak". As the moisture dried out of the wood over the subsequent years, the heavy timbers buckled, twisted, and permanently hardened into the extreme tilt seen today.

Windsor Distance Dial

The Windsor Distance Dial was presented to the Royal Borough of New Windsor to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II by the Mayor Alderman Sir Cyril Dyson Justice of the Peace, in 1953.

It was unveiled by Arthur John Reaume, the 22nd Mayor of Windsor, Ontario, who served a record 13 years in office from 1941 to 1954.

Queen Victoria Green Penfold Post Box

This post box is a prominent historic monument located right outside the Windsor Guildhall on the High Street. It is a classic hexagonal 'Penfold' pillar box, named after its designer, the Victorian architect and surveyor John Wornham Penfold. This design was first introduced by the Post Office in 1866 as a way to standardise public post boxes.

While British post boxes are universally recognised for their bright red colour, the very earliest pillar boxes were actually painted an olive green to blend in with rural and urban landscapes. However, the green colour proved too effective at blending in, causing people to accidentally walk into them. By 1874, the General Post Office began systematically repainting them red to improve visibility. This Windsor box is finished in its original, historically accurate green hue.

This box features Queen Victoria’s royal cipher halfway down the frame, while the top cap is ornately decorated with cast iron acanthus leaves, a decorative ball, and a bud finial, accented with modern silver gilding.

However, this is not an original 'Penfold' post box, but a faithful Machan replica of an original 1872 Cochrane Grove & Co. design, preserved to celebrate the town's Victorian heritage. Unlike some heritage monuments that are sealed shut, this green post box remains fully operational for daily mail collection.

Ancient Well

The Ancient Well in Windsor is a historic, outdoor landmark located at the intersection of St Alban's Street and the High Street, just outside the walls of Windsor Castle. 

Despite its age and prominent location in the town's historic core, the well has no historical plaques or informational markers. This lack of official signage makes it an enigmatic spot that frequently catches the eye of photographers and history buffs.

Irish Guardsman Statue (The Soldier's Statue)

This 1.8 metre (6-foot) bronze figure is depicted in full modern combat gear, complete with Osprey body armour as worn by British troops during the conflict in Afghanistan.

The statue carries immense symbolic weight due to the materials used in its construction. The figure itself was cast from bronze salvaged from statues destroyed during the Iraq War, and the cobbles surrounding the 4.57 metre (15-foot) stone plinth were brought back from Afghanistan.

The monument was commissioned by the Irish Guards and unveiled in June 2011 by Prince William, who had recently been appointed Colonel of the Regiment. The unveiling happened just after the 1st Battalion Irish Guards returned to their home base at Windsor's nearby Victoria Barracks following a gruelling six-month tour of Afghanistan. 

The simple plaque on the base captures the regiment's motto and enduring purpose: 

"Dedicated to all

 Irish Guardsmen

 past, present and future. 

Quis Separabit"

 (Latin for "Who shall separate us?")

The Queen and her Corgis Statue (The Windsor Lady)

Unlike traditional royal monuments that portray Queen Elizabeth II in formal, ceremonial dress or riding on horseback, this sculpture highlights her personal life and everyday humanity.

This statue depicts the late Queen sitting informally on a small bench atop a four-step brick plinth. She is dressed in relaxed outdoor clothing and wears a headscarf, while holding a Corgi on her lap. 

The Queen is completely surrounded by five other bronze Welsh Corgis, who are sculpted as though running around and playing in the park.

Commissioned to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012 and unveiled in 2015, the statue sits in Bachelor's Acre, a historic common ground historically used for local markets and fairs. It was designed by Lydia Karpinska, a figurative sculptor based in nearby Maidenhead, and was gifted to the town as a privately funded installation.