Why on earth did they build Windsor Castle on the flight path of Heathrow?

Answer 1

Try this. Why did they lay the flight path of Heathrow over Windsor Castle? Study a little history before asking questons like this.

Answer 2

Heathrow (officially opened in 1946 [1] but a military airport during the Great War of 1914-1918 [2]) currently has two parallel runways running in an East/West direction [3]. The prevailing winds mean that takeoffs are most often in a Westerly direction [4], and Windsor is to the West of Heathrow.

Windsor Castle (built by William the Conqueror almost 900 years earlier in the 1070's [5]) is approximately 7 miles to the West of Heathrow, and as such, most aircraft are at an altitude of around 2000 feet as they fly over the Castle (for a picture of Concorde over Windsor see [6])

Heathrow and Windsor are in close proximity to each other for largely the same reason - both locations are close to London, which has been the principal city of England since the Roman occupation of AD50 [7].

It is simply an unfortunate coincidence that prevailing weather conditions, pre-existing infrastructure, the history of the nation and the development of technology and the economy have created noise pollution directly over one of the (many) Royal Residences.

Answer 3

As everybody has pointed out, Windsor Castle was there first!

Heathrow was developed as London's airport after the Second World War as the ones previously used, e.g. at Croydon, did not have sufficient space, in particular for runways, for the more powerful planes that were developed as a result of the War.

The major reason why Heathrow was built so that Windsor castle was on its flight path is that both benefit from proximity to the River Thames. Windsor Castle was built in the middle ages to guard a major crossing point across the River. The proximity of Heathrow to the river provides a flat area near London for the construction of runways and to provide flight paths. There are hills both to the South of London (the North Downs) and the North (the Chilterns) which make the siting of airports difficulat unless. as at Stansted and Gatwick, you go further out - and remember that in 1945 the railways were slower and there was certainly no money (Britan was broke after the War) to build them.

In the 1940s there was no idea that air transport would become as widespread as it has become. In the 1960s there was a major report into the provision of a third London airport. The Government wanted Stansted, but after very fierce local opposition (I remember, I lived two miles from Stansted at the time) this was rejected. Instead a Royal Commission suggested that an airport be built at Foulness, which is a military artillery range East of Southend. Nobody lives there, as it is marsh, and it would have been possible to build an airport replacing Heathrow as well as the additional capacity needed for Stansted. Because the site is nearly surrounded by sea, nobody would have been disturbed by the flight paths. But with the usual contempt of big business, such as the airlines, and government for democracy the powers that be sat on the report and then developed Stansted anyway. Now Government is faced by further demands to expand Heathrow, which has neither room nor necessary infrastructure, when it would have been much cheaper and easier to expand Foulness further.

Incidentally, the snag with Foulness is that it is of great ecological importance, which I care about. People didn't think so much about the environment in the 1960s.

In short, the answer to your question is that historical accidents and short-term vested interests overtook common sense.

P.S. Your question has obvious relevance for current proposals to expand Heathrow. Firstly, given global warming further expansion of airports would be outrageous. The fog before Christmas 2006 highlighted how much of Heathow's traffic could be catered for by fast rail links within the UK and to nearby Europe. Secondly, there is plenty of spare airport capacity away from London which could be used, again supported by the development of high speed railways to provincial airports.

Answer 4

Which came first?Windsor Castle or the flight path?Good Luck!

Answer 5

I think Windsor Castle was there long before heathrow was built. Government approved planning - once again shows brilliant initiative!

Answer 6

Prior to the Norman Conquest, the manor of Clewer, the site of modern Windsor, consisting of five hides, was the property of King Harold, son of Godwin, and, together with his other estates, fell at his death into the hands of William the Conqueror.

The official version of the origin of Heathrow Airport has always been that it was developed as an airfield for the RAF in World War 2 and that at the end of the war it evolved into the main civil airport for London.

so i think you will find that windsor castle was there first

Answer 7

windsor castle was there way before heathrow airport, and I dont think any aircraft are permitted to fly over the windsor area unless its more then 30,000 feet up

most heathrow landings are from the east and the north.

you did make me laugh though.

Answer 8

I think the Windsors are probably thinking,if we had known they was going to build a major airport near our little country cottage,we wouldn't of moved here :-)

Answer 9

So that the Royal Family could understand the commoners lives

Answer 10

I think Windsor Castle was first and aeroplanes second.