Information
Landmark: Eton CollegeCity: Windsor
Country: United Kingdom
Continent: Europe
Eton College, Windsor, United Kingdom, Europe
Overview
Eton College, a centuries-old independent school with a reputation for excellence, sits in Eton, Berkshire, right across the River Thames from Windsor, where you can hear the church bells on quiet mornings.King Henry VI founded Eton in 1440, and over the centuries its halls have shaped monarchs, prime ministers, and leaders in every field, from politics to the arts.Let’s take a closer look at Eton College: founded in 1440 by King Henry VI, it began as a school for poor boys, many of whom later walked the cobbled courtyards of King’s College, Cambridge.Eton began as a charity school for 70 boys, meant to prepare them for roles in the Church and government.Over the centuries, it expanded in size and prestige, eventually standing among the foremost schools educating Britain’s elite.It started as a school for poor boys, but before long it drew the sons of nobles and grew into a cornerstone of British aristocratic education.The old Perpendicular Gothic buildings, with their tall, narrow windows, still stand at the heart of Eton’s campus.Several of the school’s buildings-among them School Yard, School Hall, and The Cloisters-have stood since the late 1400s, their stone walls worn smooth by centuries of footsteps.Eton is an all-boys school for students aged 13 to 18.It’s mainly a boarding school, where students stay on campus during the term, waking to the sound of the bell each morning.It’s tough to get into Eton, and most boys arrive at thirteen, stepping into the Lower School with crisp new uniforms and nervous smiles.Only a handful of students join the Sixth Form at 16.Eton’s curriculum stretches from the classics-Latin, Greek, History, English-to modern fields like Economics, Modern Languages, and the Sciences, with the scent of old books lingering in its historic classrooms.The school has a reputation for rigorous academics, with students often earning top marks in public exams and winning spots at leading universities.Life there revolves around the Eton House System-ten distinct Houses, each with its own traditions, colors, and a housemaster who knows every student’s name.Students live in these Houses, where friendships form over late-night tea and steady support carries them through their years at Eton.Each House keeps its own set of traditions, and their rivalries add real energy to daily life-cheers echo down the hall during match days.Eton also stands out for its rich array of extracurricular activities.The school offers clubs and societies for nearly every interest-from the snap of a debate gavel and the swell of a violin to the splash of oars cutting through water.Eton’s rowing team has a proud, time-honored record, with the Eton Fours drawing crowds each year along the riverbank, and sport runs deep in school life-students throw themselves into everything from cricket and rugby to fencing, squash, athletics, and football.Eton’s best known for its rowing-think sleek boats cutting through the Thames at dawn-but it also shines in cricket and athletics, and over the years it’s produced a long list of well-known alumni from many walks of life.Among its most famous graduates are British royals-Prince William, Prince Harry, and Prince Philip once walked the halls of Eton, their polished shoes clicking on the old stone floors.King Edward VIII and King George VI both studied there, walking the same old stone halls.Over the years, Eton has also shaped countless prime ministers-among them Winston Churchill, David Cameron, Boris Johnson, and Robert Peel.Over the years, countless politicians, public figures, and creative minds have walked through Eton’s gates-among them George Orwell, Ian Fleming of James Bond fame, and A. A. Milne, who brought Winnie-the-Pooh to life.The school has also turned out business heavyweights like former Google CEO Sir Eric Schmidt, as well as actor and comedian Hugh Laurie.And then there’s Eton Mess, its beloved summer dessert: crisp shards of meringue tangled with sweet strawberries and soft clouds of whipped cream.Legend has it the dish was first made at the school during a cricket match, and it’s still a favorite today.The Eton uniform-complete with its distinctive short-cut tailcoat-stands as a proud symbol of the school’s unique culture.Younger students wear a uniform, crisp shirts and all, while the Sixth Formers usually choose their own clothes.The Eton Collar-a wide, starched band of white-remains a signature part of the school uniform, and among its many traditions, few stand out like the Beating of the Bounds, when students walk the old boundaries and tap markers with long sticks.As part of a centuries-old rite of passage, students walk the school’s boundary, tapping familiar landmarks with sticks as they go.The Eton Wall Game, an equally ancient tradition, is played each year on St. Andrew’s Day, November 30.The game blends football and rugby, played hard against a wall on the school’s old playing fields where the grass smells of rain.The game’s been played for more than two centuries and is still woven into the school’s traditions.At the heart of Eton lies the School Yard, a broad stone square where much of the day’s bustle unfolds.The Yard sits ringed by centuries-old buildings, hosting everything from open-air concerts to cricket matches on summer afternoons.Just beyond it, the Eton Chapel stands as the heart of the college, where services and assemblies fill the air with voices.Sir Christopher Wren designed it, and today it hosts everything from candlelit services to concerts and special celebrations.The Eton Library holds a trove of rare books and manuscripts tracing the college’s long history.Down on the Thames, the Eton Boathouse bustles with the school’s renowned rowing crews.The boathouse serves as a hub for both training and races, its wooden beams smelling faintly of river water.Eton College, steeped in tradition, has long been tied to Britain’s upper class and has shaped many of the nation’s political, cultural, and intellectual leaders.Eton’s alumni network stretches wide, still shaping British society today; while most students come from the UK, the school also draws young people from across the globe, adding to its standing as one of the world’s finest.From politics to theatre, bestselling novels to boardrooms, its former pupils have left their mark on culture and history alike.With more than six centuries behind it, Eton College remains a symbol of prestige and tradition.Famous for its demanding academic standards, the school pushes students to think hard and dig deep-late nights with coffee-stained notebooks are common.
