T

he numbers alone give you an indication of what’s in store here. A priceless collection of over 300,000 books, prints and drawings, 300 fireplaces, 450 clocks, a dolls’ house that took 1,500 craftsmen to complete, and a kitchen that’s been in constant use for over 750 years?

While you might not see the latter unless you’re lucky enough to receive a dinner invitation (we’re still waiting for ours), you can spend a fascinating day exploring a large part of the 1,000-year-old castle and 13-acre grounds.

Why not start with St George’s Chapel, in the castle’s Lower Ward, which is the final resting place of 10 British monarchs including Henry VIII and Charles I – before moving on to look at the Great Kitchen and the Semi-State Rooms – the private apartments created by George IV.

If the Queen’s not making herself at home (this is one of her official residences), then you’re free to have a nose around the art collection, too, which would put many a national gallery to shame. Among others, you’ll see works by Rembrandt, Rubens, Canaletto, Holbein, Van Dyck and Gainsborough – alongside rare and delicate English and French furniture. Thomas Crown would have a field day.