Everyone knows that Windsor Castle almost went up in smoke, exactly 25 years ago today, but did you know that...

More than 500 people live and work in Windsor Castle – it even has its own cricket team, the Royal Household Cricket Club.

It is the largest inhabited castle in the world, with around 1,000 rooms (100 of which were damaged in the 1992 fire), 300 fireplaces, 300,000 books and 450 clocks.

Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House is a mini-masterpiece by Sir Edwin Lutyens, with a mini-garden by Gertrude Jekyll. It has flushing loos, working lifts, library books and a silver dinner service for 18 tiny guests.

And, somewhats surprisingly, it is not a Unesco World Heritage Site (despite the likes of Blenheim Palace being recognised).

Here, Dan Jones, the historian and television presenter, nominates 12 more of his favourite British castles...