Old Windsor is a large village in the English county of Berkshire. Old Windsor was originally the site of an important palace of the Saxon Kings. Certainly the settlement is documented as a defended royal manor in Edward the Confessor's time (1060s), but archaeological evidence suggests royal connections had existed since at least 9th century. Old Windsor was popular with the monarch because of its convenient location: near the river for transport and Windsor Forest for hunting. Old Windsor was also an early minster location and market, probably associated with a lock (hence the need for a winch) and important riverside mill complex. The Saxon palace was eventually superseded by the Norman castle - Windsor Castle - at 'New' Windsor. The medieval manor house, however, became a popular Royal hunting lodge, at a time when the castle was a fortress rather than a comfortable residence. More on Old Windsor