SECURITY plans for Windsor Castle have unveiled a labyrinth of secret spaces and corridors, including a concealed staircase that connects the King’s private living quarters directly to the outside world via the South Terrace.
These maps were originally classified but have now been made available at The National Archives, revealing chambers and tunnels deep beneath the 11th century castle.
The plans were originally used for a comprehensive security overhaul in the 1960s.
Notably, a hidden staircase situated at the back of the Sovereign’s entrance in the south-east corner of King Charles III‘s Berkshire residence was revealed.
Leslie Grout, a Windsor Castle expert and former Mastermind champion told the Metro he believed the hidden staircase was there so King Charles II and his guests could slip in and out of the castle noticed.
“Charles II may have wanted his mistress Nell Gwyn and others to enter and leave the castle unobserved,” he said.
“But I’m not confining it to Charles II, there are other monarchs who may have wanted to keep their guests from public view.”
Other features revealed in the plans include interconnected subterranean walkways and chambers, some of which could be dating back to the castle’s origins in the 11th Century.
An expansive wine cellar located at the basement level is also clearly visible in the plans.
They also highlight certain features incorporated to deter intruders, such as a control room and alarm bells.
In 2011, the first public footage inside a classified escape tunnel at the castle was broadcast, featuring Fiona Bruce traipsing through the passage.
Bruce showed viewers a trap door hidden beneath a carpet in an office, leading to a passage wide enough for an army of men to escape in case of a siege, and which opens out onto the street.
It’s uncertain if this tunnel is the same as the private staircase indicated in the recently released plans.
The blueprints, originally drawn-up in 1935 by HM Office of Works, were later used to plan the security upgrade.
The castle, founded by William the Conqueror and initially used as a fortress, is steeped in intrigue and history, much of which is strictly not accessible to members of the public for security issues.
But it is by no means Britain’s oldest home.
The newly released documents shed light on some of the lesser-known aspects of the castle’s history, including incidents involving intruders in the late 1960s.
Windsor Castle isn’t the only royal residence with an intriguing subterranean history. Rumours abound of secret tunnels and hidden doorways in Buckingham Palace, including a passage that runs down The Mall to Clarence House.
Image Credits: Prince Charles | Dodgy Photshopped arm | Windsor Castle Plans