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Bolsover Castle - Bolsover, Derbyshire (EH)

Castle in name only, the present mansion was built during the 17th century by Sir Charles Cavendish and his son William on the site of a 12th century castle. The original castle was built at roughly the same time as the then owner's other castle across the county at Peveril, with a stone curtain wall surrounding domestic buildings inside. The site is also similar, on a highly defensible outcrop. A stone keep was built by Henry II in about 1173. The ownership had passed from William Peverel to the Crown during the confused time at the end of Stephen's reign and later King John spent time and money on repairs at Bolsover.

Little Castle

In 1553, the castle ceased it's royal connection, being granted to Sir George Talbot, later sixth Earl of Shrewsbury. In 1568, Shrewsbury married the celebrated 'Bess of Hardwick', whose passion for building can be seen at nearby Hardwick Hall. This was her fourth and least successful marriage, not helped by the position forced onto Shrewsbury as custodian of Mary, Queen of Scots for fifteen years. The expense and the rumours of a liaison between the Earl and the Queen left the marriage in tatters and they lived apart for the last years of Shrewsbury's life.

Gilbert Talbot succeeded his father and he leased Bolsover to his close friend and step-brother Charles Cavendish, who later bought it outright. This favoured son of Bess had inherited her drive and passion for construction and with the architect Robert Smithson, drew up plans for the demolition of the old castle buildings and construction of what in effect is two separate houses, the Little Castle and the Terrace Range. The contrast between the two mirrors the times - a look back at the romantic, medieval castle and a look forward to materialism and grand display of wealth and taste apparent in the classical terrace.

Terrace Range

Neither man lived long enough to see the completed building, but the work was continued by Charles' son, William and the designs were somewhat modified by John Smithson. Substantially complete by 1633, the Riding School building was then built probably to the design of Smithson's son Huntingdon, who also completed the boundary wall and the southeast and southwest gates.

In 1628 Sir William was created Earl of Newcastle and his higher status was confirmed by a visit to his new home at Bolsover by King Charles and his Queen in 1633. This was a lavish entertainment in the tradition of royal visitors such as Elizabeth's at Kenilworth under Robert Dudley. At Bolsover, a masque by Ben Jonson was performed and another visit was made in the following year, with a further masque by Jonson called Love's Welcome at Bolsover. The banquet would have been held in the long gallery and the royal couple spent the night at Newcastle's other new building at Welbeck. The State Apartments at Bolsover were not completed until after 1640.

During the Civil War, Newcastle was appointed Commander-in-Chief of all Royalist forces north of the river Trent. He was successful in his military campaigns and occupied York in November 1642. In December the following year he visited Bolsover and established a garrison there, but the fortunes of war had turned and he was forced into exile in Europe after the defeat of the Royalists at Marston Moor. Bolsover's garrison was forced to surrender and it was occupied by Parliamentary forces until 1649, when the outworks and garden walls were demolished. Newcastle couldn't return until Charles II assumed the throne and he was granted his property back in 1660. While in exile, Newcastle had produced his book on horsemanship and acquired a large stable. Much damage had been done to Bolsover during the war and repairs went slowly. After his death, the buildings were kept furnished but little occupied until finally the main residence at Welbeck took precedence and lead was stripped from the Terrace Range to provide materials for new work at Welbeck in 1751.

The Riding School

Bolsover today is managed by English Heritage and a guided tape tour provides an entertaining introduction to the building, with the sounds of occupation and building that must have rung around the courtyard during its heyday. The three main buildings are all fascinating glimpses of the scale and grandeur that Bolsover once boasted. The Riding School is a wonderful space, both functional and decorative and the only one we have visited. It has classical features, such as the viewing gallery and a beautiful timber roof. The Terrace Range is huge, with long sight lines through the first set of rooms through the parallel doorways echoed on a grand scale by the Great Gallery, an interpretation of the Long Gallery in older Elizabethan houses, finally opening out onto the Terrace itself. Views of the surrounding countryside and back at the house are equally impressive. 

Marble fire-surround

The Little Castle is a real contrast, with small rooms, still decorated to a high degree of sophistication in a mixture of classical and medieval styles. It could function as a self-contained house, with its own kitchen and bakery and the scale is more homely than the Terrace Range's grand apartments. In many of the rooms are marble fire-surrounds very much of the period and the whole castle is a delightfully exuberant building.

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