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  • The Riding School Range is situated within the outer walls of Bolsover Castle, Enclosing the South side of the great courtyard. William Cavendish was an avid horse rider and had...

    The Riding House Range

    The Riding School Range is situated within the outer walls of Bolsover Castle, Enclosing the South side of the great courtyard. William Cavendish was an avid horse rider and had…

  • The Little Castle at Bolsover may at first glance look like a castle keep for overseeing a castle during wartime, but further inspection shows that it has few of the features...

    Little Castle Keep at Bolsover Castle

    The Little Castle at Bolsover may at first glance look like a castle keep for overseeing a castle during wartime, but further inspection shows that it has few of the features…

  • The Terrace Range was constructed in the 1630′s on the orders of William Cavendish.  His aim was to create a set of banqueting halls and state rooms that would be...

    The Terrace Range

    The Terrace Range was constructed in the 1630′s on the orders of William Cavendish.  His aim was to create a set of banqueting halls and state rooms that would be…

More about Bolsover Castle
  • Bolsover Castle – in brief:

    Bolsover Castle is a mostly ruined Castle / stately home in Derbyshire. The site is a tourist attraction and is run by English Heritage and there are a wide range of events and attractions throughout the year. Entry is free for members of English Heritage.

    The parts of Bolsover Castle that remain reasonably intact show its history to be less of a military stronghold (although there were sieges and battles in the medieval period) and more of a fantasy castle / stately home for throwing lavish parties in the 17th Century

    Foremost amongst the buildings is the Little Castle, a keep that shows few true military features on the outside, and on the inside boasts sumptuous decoration and wall and ceiling paintings that would have been incredibly impressive in their heyday. The Riding House withing the courtyard at Bolsover Castle also speaks less of war and more of rich men indulging in hobbies to impress their peers.

    The ruined Terrace range truly shows the scope of the ambition of the 17th Century owners of Bolsover Castle to impress those of the worthies of the land who came to be entertained.

    Today the Castle's history is communicated to visitors by English Heritage with information, signs, booklets, recreation events and the Discovery Centre.