Name: Bolsover Castle
Address: Castle Street, Bolsover, Derbyshire, S44 6PR
Telephone: 01246 822844

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Bolsover Castle

We have changed the opening arrangements of our sites to play our part in stopping the spread of COVID-19. Bolsover Castle is currently closed and any tickets pre-booked for the closed period will be cancelled and refunds automatically made as needed, so there is no need to contact us. We are keeping a selection of sites open for local people to use for exercise during the lockdown period. These are a mixture of free-to-enter and paid sites, and all have plenty of outdoor space for safe social distancing. Visits to paid sites must be booked in advance. We hope to be able to reopen many more of our sites in the near future, and we are currently taking advanced bookings for mid-February and beyond. If we are unable to open a site by the time of your booked visit, your ticket will be automatically refunded without you needing to contact us. Thank you for your understanding, patience and support during this difficult time.

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Address

Castle Street, Bolsover, Derbyshire, S44 6PR

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Things to See and Do

What's On

Half term Explorer quest

Sat 13 - Sun 21 February 2021 11am - 4pm

Bolsover Castle Timeline

1068A Norman Gift

William the Conqueror grants custody of his new castle at Nottingham and the large manor of Bolsover to one of his knights, William Peveril.

Find out more about the history of Bolsover Castle

1155Royal Seizure

Peveril’s son takes the wrong side against Henry II and forfeits his estates to the Crown.

1216First Barons’ War

A group of barons fight against King John after he refuses to accept the terms of Magna Carta. Bolsover Castle is besieged.

1322Temporary Abandonment

The garrison stands down and the buildings gradually fall into decay.

1600The Cavendish Family

Bess of Hardwick’s son Charles Cavendish buys Bolsover and makes it his main residence.

1611-17A Modern Norman Castle

Charles commissions Robert and John Smythson to build the Little Castle.

1618-33Fit for a King

Charles’s son William inherits. He completes his father’s decoration of the lodge house and renovates the ‘old house’ with state apartments, a gallery and a hall.

1634Royal Feast

Charles I, Henrietta Maria, their royal entourage and all of Nottinghamshire’s and Derbyshire’s gentry feast at Bolsover. They are entertained by Ben Jonson’s Love’s Welcome at Bolsover.

1640-44Civil War

William is appointed commander-in-chief of the northern Royalist counties. After his wife dies and he loses the Battle of Marston Moor, he despairs and goes to Paris in exile.

1649Demolition

The Parliamentary Council of State orders the slighting (deliberate destruction) of Bolsover to prevent it being used by Royalists.

1650A Cavendish Return

William returns from abroad and buys back his estates. He grants Bolsover to his sons, who carry out repairs.

1770sRomantic Return

Bolsover passes through marriage to the Dukes of Portland. The Terrace Grange is unroofed, becoming a ruin that attracts antiquarian and artistic interest.

1833Guardians

John Hamilton Gray becomes vicar of the parish. He and his family carry out alterations and repairs to the Little Castle, where they live as guardians.

Early 20th CenturyTown Use

The riding house becomes a drill room and theatre, and the castle yard a bowling green and tennis court.

1920s-1930sEnvironmental Damage

Massive cracks from slipping limestone bedrock threaten the castle's stability. A nearby Coalite plant damages the stonework with acidic pollution.

1945Open to the Public

The Ministry of Works takes over, stabilising the structures and gradually opening the site to the public.

Learn more about the history of Bolsover Castle.

Nearby Places
Similar Places

Bolsover Cundy House
0.14 miles from Bolsover Castle
Sutton Scarsdale Hall
2.15 miles from Bolsover Castle
Hardwick Old Hall
4.55 miles from Bolsover Castle

Hardwick Old Hall
4.55 miles from Bolsover Castle
Wingfield Manor
11.52 miles from Bolsover Castle
Conisbrough Castle
17.71 miles from Bolsover Castle

Nearby Places
- Bolsover Cundy House
  0.14 miles from Bolsover Castle
- Sutton Scarsdale Hall
  2.15 miles from Bolsover Castle
- Hardwick Old Hall
  4.55 miles from Bolsover Castle
Similar Places
- Hardwick Old Hall
  4.55 miles from Bolsover Castle
- Wingfield Manor
  11.52 miles from Bolsover Castle
- Conisbrough Castle
  17.71 miles from Bolsover Castle