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HOW IT RATES With its royal connections, Windsor is the jewel in the crown of Berkshire. A wealthy town in a well-to-do county, it is located across the river from Eton, which educated 18 prime ministers and Princes William and Harry. The castle is one of Britain's most popular tourist attractions - and is reputed to be the Queen's favourite home.

ARCHITECTURAL GEMS Windsor Castle is the world's oldest and largest occupied fortress, covering 12 acres. William the Conqueror erected a wooden castle here in 1070, but the earliest surviving parts are walls built by Henry II in the 1160s. The castle was repeatedly extended over the centuries. The Albert Memorial Chapel dates from 1240. The Gothic St George's Chapel (1475-1528) is a royal mausoleum: many royals lie here, including Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

WHAT'S NEW The Square is a collection of 11 large flats and two three-bedroom houses on Eton High Street. It has views of Windsor Castle and designer kitchens and bathrooms. Prices range from £795,000 to £1.1 million; homes will be ready this year (Savills 01344 295375).

QUALITY OF LIFE Rather lovely. Being on the Thames, there are plenty of chances for messing about in boats; Windsor Great Park offers 40 square miles of prime parkland and formal gardens to explore.

POPULATION In 2006 the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead had 135,097 residents, estimated to rise to 136,011 by 2011. The greatest growth is among infants up to 5, the 16-24 age group, and the 65-74 “younger retired”.

TRAVEL Only 21 miles west of Central London, it takes about 30 minutes by car, depending on the traffic. Trains from Paddington and Waterloo take about the same time. Heathrow is 15 minutes' drive away.

SMARTEST STREETS In the town centre, Kings Road, Frances Road and the smaller roads in between are in demand. On the edge of town, the gated development called Queen's Acre is very exclusive, as is Queen Anne's Road, where houses sell for about £1.3 million. The St Leonards Hill area is popular with families; prices range from £600,000 to £2 million.

BEST RESTAURANTS The Sir Christopher Wren's House Hotel is worth visiting. Overlooking the Thames, it was built by Wren in 1676. Al Fassia serves good Moroccan dishes. Otherwise it's best to head for a pub; Fifty-One is excellent for food.

TOP NIGHTLIFE The Carpenters Arms and the Two Brewers are cosy, old-fashioned pubs; but they can get crowded; the Waterman's Arms and Henry VI are less touristy. The Theatre Royal hosts drama, music and dance.

EDUCATION Eton's £26,500 annual fees are prohibitive, but no other local boys' secondary schools are listed in the Good Schools Guide. For girls, St George's School and St Mary's School, both in nearby Ascot, are very good. Brigidine first and middle school is the most sought-after prep school.

WORKING LIFE About 33 per cent of the working population are engaged in banking, finance, insurance and business services; 25.3 per cent work in public administration, education and health; 24.6 per cent work in distribution, hotels and restaurants.

UPSIDE Watch the changing of the guard at 11am Monday to Saturday and see the fantastic artworks in the State Apartments, which are open unless the Queen is in residence.

DOWNSIDE The town is close to Heathrow and is directly under the airport's flight path, so the aircraft noise can be very loud. And some people may feel that Windsor and Eton form something of a ghetto of privilege.

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