Bolsover Castle

When you think about the Medieval Age, you probably think about knights, lordsand
ladies and fantastical jousting competitions taking place in a castle. Those ideas are
not far from the truth, Castles were incredibly important places in medieval times, they
were important staging points for conquests, defences against enemies and focal points
for a community.Castles served as a military purpose first of all, they housed armies
and acted as a garrison for equipment, training and controlling a territory. Many
castles were part of fortified towns and sheltered the villages surrounding it during
times of war.This function changed throughout the Middle Ages, by the end of this
age, castles were used more as homes by lords and kings rather than military needs.
Bolsover Castle is in the town of Bolsover, in the north-east of the English county of
Derbyshire. Built in the early 17th century, the present castle lies on the earthworks
and ruins of the 12th-century medieval castle; the first structure of the present castle
was built between 1612 and 1617 by Sir Charles Cavendish. The site is now in the
care of the English Heritage charity, as both a Grade I listed building and a Scheduled
Ancient Monument.
The original castle was built by the Peverel family in the 12th century and became
Crown property in 1155 when William Peverel the Younger died. The Ferrers family
who were Earls of Derby laid claim to the Peveril property. When a group of barons
led by King Henry II's sons – Henry the Young King, Geoffrey Duke of Brittany, and
Prince Richard, later Richard the Lionheart – revolted against the king's rule, Henry
spent £116 on building at the castles of Bolsover and Peveril in Derbyshire. Garrison
was increased to a force led by 20 knights and was shared with the castles of Peveril
and Nottingham during the revolt. King John ascended the throne in 1199 after his
brother Richard's death. William de Ferrers maintained the claim of the Earls of Derby
to the Peveril estates. He paid John 2000 marks for the lordship of the Peak, but the
Crown retained possession of Bolsover and Peveril Castles. John finally gave them to
Ferrers in 1216 to secure his support in the face of country-wide rebellion. However,
the castellan Brian de Lisle refused to hand them over. Although Lisle and Ferrers
were both John's supporters, John gave Ferrers permission to use force to take the
castles. The situation was still chaotic when Henry III became king after his father's
death in 1216. Bolsover fell to Ferrers' forces in 1217 after a siege. The castle was
returned to crown control in 1223, at which point £33 was spent on repairing the
damage the Earl of Derby had caused when capturing the castle six years earlier. Over
the next 20 years, four towers were added, the keep was repaired, various parts of the
curtain wall were repaired, and a kitchen and barn were built, all at a cost of £181.
From 1290 onward, the castle and its surrounding manor were granted to a series of
local farmers. Under their custodianship, the castle gradually fell into a state of
disrepair.
Cavendish had ambitious and unusual plans for Bolsover. Working with
designer and builder Robert Smythson, he envisioned a castle he could use as a retreat
from Welbeck, the principal seat of the Cavendish family. Moreover, it would be
comfortable and elegant, yet its external appearance would pay homage to the form of
a classic Norman keep, sitting imposingly on the promontory near the original
foundation. This was to be the Little Castle, which was not completed until 1621, after
the deaths of both Cavendish and his architect. Building continued under William, son
of Charles Cavendish and later Duke of Newcastle, and his brother John. They drew
on the Italianate style of architect Inigo Jones, whose reputation was beginning to
influence construction beyond London. Even today, some of the fragile wall paintings
are among the unique treasures of Bolsover.
Internally, the architecture of the keep was a combination of Romanesque and
Gothic, while the furnishing, under the direction of architect John Smythson, Robert’s
son, was lavish and comfortable. William Cavendish also added the terrace range
which now stands as a roofless ruin along one edge of the site. When newly
constructed, this was an elegant and fashionable location, worthy to welcome the
monarch Charles I and his wife Henrietta Maria in 1634. All work at Bolsover ceased
during the Civil War, and Bolsover was slighted by the Parliamentarians so that it was
effectively ruined. On becoming Duke of Newcastle after the restoration of the
monarchy, William Cavendish set about restoring the castle and extending the terrace
range with a state apartment. A noted horseman who wrote a famous work on
horsemanship, Cavendish also constructed a dedicated riding house which survives in
its entirety and is still used for magnificent equestrian displays today. By the time of
his death in 1676, restoration on Bolsover Castle was complete, although it fell into
decline under his son Henry, who pulled down the state apartment and allowed the
terrace range to decay. Bolsover Castle came into state ownership in 1945, having
been donated by the Duke of Portland. It was subsequently restored and stabilised,
having been threatened by subsidence from mining at Bolsover Colliery.
If you are looking for a place to spend an afternoon and take in some history,
Bolsover Castle is the perfect spot. With its well-maintained rooms and views of the
Derbyshire countryside, a visit to Bolsover will be sure to leave you feeling impressed.
So, if you find yourself in the area, be sure to stop by and take a tour!