Bolsover Castle, Derbyshire

The English county of Derbyshire is blessed with many historic houses and castles. Some of these great buildings may only date back to the Victorian period, whilst others were built back in the time of the Norman Conquest.

It was during this latter period that Bolsover Castle was built. Situated just six miles east of Chesterfield, and today found near to the M1 motorway, Bolsover Castle is one of Derbyshire’s oldest and most popular historic buildings.

Bolsover Castle Panorama - Stephen G Taylor - CC-BY-SA-2.0

The M1 motorway gives Bolsover Castle a certain level of accessibility, but in truth, the castle is only accessible by the general public because of the work of English Heritage. English Heritage is one of the most important organisations dealing with the preservation of the physical symbols of the nation, and Bolsover Castle has proved to be one of their success stories.

 

The history of Bolsover Castle

Bolsover Castle can trace its history right back to the Norman conquest of the eleventh century, and thus has nine hundred years of history to explore.

Bolsover Castle was originally built by the Peverel family; William Peverel being one of the favourite nobles of William the Conqueror’s court, and in the twelfth century it held a strategic position overlooking the Vale of Scarsdale.

By the time of Henry II though, the Peverel family had fallen out of favour, having been supporters of Stephen against Empress Matilda. All of the Peverel lands were forfeit to the crown, although a few improvements were made to the castle during this period, including the construction of the 1173 stone keep and curtain wall.

Looking up at Bolsover Castle - Galatas - CC-BY-SA-2.0

During the Baron’s War of the following century, the castle held out against King John in 1216 but it eventually fell to the king and was left to fall into ruin.

As Bolsover Castle quickly deteriorated, it was rented out to various tenants, all of whom had no interest in spending money on its upkeep. Bolsover Castle though was eventually purchased in 1553 by Sir George Talbot. Talbot became the 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, prison keeper to Mary Queen of Scots.

Like the previous tenants, the Earls of Shrewsbury had little interest in restoring Bolsover Castle, but the 7th Earl of Shrewsbury evenutally sold the castle to Sir Charles Cavendish, and it was he and his son William who really brought back the castle to its true glory.

Robert Smythson was their architect and he designed buildings for elegant living, including the 1621 building of the “Little Castle” which is actually a tower. The Terrace Range was also created consisting of kitchens and living apartments, but the visit of monarchy also meant that a long gallery was built. The Riding School was also constructed consisting of a large arena, forge and gallery and the school soon became well known for its large and impressive timber roof.

William Cavendish was a Royalist and following his defeat at Marston Moor, he fled into exile, which left the castle in the hands of the Roundheads; who let it once again fall into ruin. Cavendish though was lucky and with the Restoration in 1660, he was once again given back his lands. Cavendish soon set about rebuilding the castle and added on the Terrace Range, including a new hall and various staterooms.

The descendants of William Cavendish were not as enamoured with Bolsover Castle and much preferred to live in Welbeck Abbey. From the latter half of the seventeenth century the castle was used as a building supply depot for repairs to the abbey and although the Little Castle and the Riding School Range were left untouched, the main castle was stripped of lead and other important materials.

Bolsover Castle was uninhabited by 1883, and for the next sixty years it was left to its own devices. By this time Bolsover Castle had become one of seats of the Dukes of Portland, and eventually in 1945, the 7th Duke of Portland decided that it should be handed to nation for posterity, and after this it was taken into the care of English Heritage.

 

Bolsover Castle today

Due its ownership by English Heritage the castle is open to the general public, and there plenty to see and do. Even after a thousand years of work, Bolsover Castle is still an impressive sight. As a historic building it is hard to think of any building that is better preserved, and time walking around the building is thought provoking.

The views form the top of the castle are breathtaking, and on a clear day it is easy to see across the Vale of Scarsdale as well as the rest of the Derbyshire countryside. There is perhaps not as much to see in the castle as with many of the other historic buildings of England, such places as Hever Castle and Warwick Castle do have more to see within the castle walls. Bolsover Castle does have the “Little Castle” to visit and restored erotic wall-paintings are now on display.

Bolsover Castle - JThomas - CC-BY-SA-2.0

The grounds of Bolsover Castle are equally as impressive as the castle, and many visitors will spend longer in the gardens and grounds than they do in the castle’s buildings. The grounds are the setting for the Venus Garden, a garden with over twenty statues looking down on you. Additionally there is also the famous fountain now back in working condition after many years of being broken.
The grounds do make an ideal setting for a family picnic and by picking your spot you can have a view over the Derbyshire countryside whilst you eat. For those who are willing to pay for lunch, there is a cafe in the grounds of Bolsover Castle and whilst you can not get a full meal there are sandwiches and light snacks to eat.

The grounds are also the setting for many of the historic and cultural events that are put on by English Heritage throughout the year. Some of the events include the annual Food and Drink Fair although it is an idea to check with English Heritage to see what is planned. The Riding House is also adjacent to the grounds and having been restored it easy to imagine the dancing horses being trained.

There is not a great deal to keep children entertained at Bolsover Castle, although the construction of the Discovery Centre has created an entertaining space comprising of a number of audio-visual displays.

Bolsover Castle is open all year round, although days and dates do vary depending on the time of year and so it is advisable to check before travelling. There is a small cost involved in entrance to Bolsover Castle, and again these costs should be checked as they are subject to change. It is well worth considering joining English Heritage to enjoy free entrance to all of their properties. There is of course an advantage of not being owned by a company seeking out profit, as with the case of places such as Warwick Castle, as prices are kept relatively low. At the same time there are advantages to commercialisation, especially in that there are often more attractions on site.

It is often the commercialisation that entertains younger members of the family, and so for children it is really only ideal to make sure that special events are being held otherwise they could easily become bored. An additional important aspect of a visit is the weather, and if visiting on a rainy day then the visit may be short lived, as it is difficult to spend more than a few hours in the castle building. All in all though, as a historic setting and as an impressive site, Bolsover Castle is well worth the trouble of visiting.

Copyright - First Published 20th October 2008