Bolsover Castle

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Bolsover Castle from the valley, overlooked by the "Little Castle"

Bolsover Castle is a castle in the small town of Bolsover in the English county of Derbyshire . It was built in the 12th century by the Peveril family , who also owned Peveril Castle in Derbyshire. Since 1155 it was in royal possession. Today the site is managed by English Heritage , who have listed the castle as a Grade I Historic Building. The castle is also a Scheduled Monument .

history

middle Ages

The castle was built by the Peveril family in the 12th century and became the property of the Crown in 1155 through the expropriation of William Peveril the Younger . The Ferrers family , who held the title of Earl of Derby , claimed the legacy of the Peverels. When a group of nobles led by King Henry II's sons Henry the Younger , Gottfried II and Richard I , later called Richard the Lionheart, revolted against the King's law, Henry II gave £ 116 to build the castles in Bolsover and Peveril in Derbyshire. The garrison was upgraded to a force led by 20 knights and shared with the castles of Peveril and Nottingham during the revolt . Johann Ohneland ascended the throne of England in 1199 after the death of his brother Richard. William de Ferrers maintained the Earls of Derby's claim to the Peverils' estates. He paid King John 2000 marks for the Peak nobility title, but the Crown retained ownership of the castles of Peveril and Bolsover. In 1216, Johann Ohneland finally granted this title to the Ferrers family to secure their support in the face of the nationwide revolt. But the castellan Brian de Lisle refused to hand over the castles. Although Lisle and Ferrers both supported Johann, the latter allowed Ferrers to take the castles by force. The situation was still chaotic when Henry III. ascended the throne after the death of his father in 1216. Bolsover Castle was captured by Ferrer's forces in 1217 after a siege.

In 1223 the castle came under the control of the crown again. By then, £ 33 had been spent repairing the damage caused by the Earl of Derby in taking the castle six years earlier. Over the next twenty years four towers were added, the donjon was repaired, as were various parts of the curtain wall ; a kitchen and barn were built, all for a price of £ 181. From 1290 the castle and surrounding manor were leased to a number of local farmers. During this time the castle gradually fell into disrepair.

Modern times

In 1553 Sir George Talbot bought the castle and manor. Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl Shrewsbury , sold it in 1608 to Sir Charles Cavendish , son of the Bess of Hardwick . Sir Charles began repairs to the castle, which his son, William , later 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne , continued. Despite its defensive appearance, the castle was designed more for an elegant life than for defense. The tower, now called "Little Castle", was completed in 1621.

During the English Civil War , Bolsover Castle was taken by the Roundheads , who dragged it and turned it into a ruin. William Cavendish had a new hall and parade room added to the terrace wing and when he died in 1676 the castle was completely restored. Through the female line , the castle fell to the Bentinck family and eventually became one of the seats of the Dukes of Portland . The castle was uninhabited from 1883 and was given to the state by the 7th Duke of Portland in 1945. Today it is managed by English Heritage.

Bolsover Castle is a Scheduled Monument , a historical building of national rank and ground monument that is protected against unauthorized changes. It has also been listed as a historical building of the first degree since 1985. and recognized as an internationally important building.

  • The outer facade of the Long Gallery

  • The "Little Castle"

  • A model of Bolsover Castle as it might have looked at the end of the 17th century

  • Interior of the riding arena

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Bolsover . In: A Topographical Dictionary of England (1848) . British History Online. Retrieved February 23, 2015.
  2. ^ A b Richard Eales: Peveril Castle . English Heritage, London 2006. ISBN 978-1-85074-982-0 . P. 23.
  3. ^ HM Colvin, RA Brown: The History of the King's Works. Volume II: The Middle Ages . Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London 1963. p. 572.
  4. ↑ Richard Eales: Peveril Castle . English Heritage, London 2006. ISBN 978-1-85074-982-0 . P. 24.
  5. ^ HM Colvin, RA Brown: The History of the King's Works. Volume II: The Middle Ages . Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London 1963. p. 573.
  6. ↑ a b c Plantagenet Somerset Fry: The David & Charles Book of Castles . David & Charles, 1980. ISBN 0-7153-7976-3 .
  7. ^ Bolsover Castle . In: Pastscape . English Heritage. Retrieved February 23, 2015.
  8. ↑ Scheduled Monuments . In: Pastscape . English Heritage. Retrieved February 23, 2015.
  9. ^ Bolsover Castle . Heritage Gateway. Retrieved February 23, 2015.
  10. ↑ Frequently asked questions . In: Images of England . English Heritage. Archived from the original on February 20, 2010. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved February 23, 2015. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.imagesofengland.org.uk

literature

  • Lucy Worsley: Bolsover Castle . English Heritage, London 2000. Revised edition 2010. ISBN 978-1-85074-762-8
  • Lucy Worsley: Changing Notions oaf Authenticity: Presenting a Castle Over Four Centuries in International Journal of Heritage Studies . Issue 10, May 2004. 2nd edition, pp. 129–149.

Web links

Commons : Bolsover Castle  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 53 ° 13 '53 "  N , 1 ° 17' 49"  W.