• Andrew's TravelsDerbyshire; Outside of the Peak DistrictTraveler
    1View of Bolsover Castle taken from the air (image from the cover of a book in the Visitor Centre)
    1View of Bolsover Castle taken from the air (image from the cover of a book in the Visitor Centre)Outside Bolsover CastleThe red doors leading into the Little Castle after crossing the yardLittle Castle and the Venus FountainVenus FountainThe gardens against the walls of the Fountain GardenView of the Little Castle from the sideEntrance to the Little CastleGrand Hall; Ceiling ArtworkGrand Hall; Ceiling ArtworkPillar RoomStar ChamberStar ChamberHeaven Closet CeilingElysium Closet CeilingElysium ClosetPortraitsView of Terrace Range from the Little CastleView of Terrace Range from the Little CastleView of Terrace Range from the frontTerrace RangeTerrace RangeView of the Vale of Scarsdale from the Terrace RangeRiding SchoolInside the Riding School Building

    Bolsover Castle

    August 17 in England ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    We visit Bolsover Castle on our journey back from Wirksworth to home.  Bolsover Castle and Hardwick Hall (see earlier post) are closely linked through the powerful Cavendish family; the two are only about 4.5 miles apart. Whereas Hardwick Hall was built by the formidable Bess of Hardwick (Countess of Shrewsbury) in the 1590s, the land at Bolsover was bought by Bess's son, Sir Charles Cavendish, in 1608 and he began transforming the medieval castle ruins into a modern retreat.

    Bolsover Castle is now under the care of English Heritage and famous for being a 17th-century "party palace" built for show rather than defence; it features the following:
    1) the Little Castle - this was built on 12th century medieval ruins and mimics a fortress with towers, but with large windows and luxurious rooms for entertainment,
    2) the Terrace Range - the vast and stately Terrace Range overlooking the Vale of Scarsdale is now a dramatic roofless shell.
    3) the Riding School - this is the oldest surviving complete riding house in England and commissioned by William Cavendish (riding master to King Charles II),

    We start by visiting the Little Castle via the Fountain Garden and walking around the various rooms on several levels; after that we explore the Terrace Range before looking at the Riding School; see captions of photos for details.

    It has been an interesting visit.    Read more