Building and site description
At first sight, Bolsover Castle appears to be a medieval fort set in a spectacular hilltop location. But all is not as it seems! This is not really a castle but a fantasy family home built for entertaining wealthy friends.
Little Castle at Bolsover © English Heritage photo library
The buildings are on the site of a twelfth century stone keep. In 1612 Sir Charles Cavendish replaced the keep with the fairytale Little Castle. This has battlements, turrets and wide window openings in the thick walls. Instead of a strong, impenetrable door, broad stone steps lead to a stately entrance.
Inside, Little Castle is decorated with ornate stone and marble fireplaces, pillars topped with horses heads, paintings of classical themes, and wood paneling decorated with gold leaf. The names of the rooms give clues to their appearance, for example, the pillar parlour and the star chamber.
When Sir Charles died, his son William added the terrace range, now a dramatic roofless ruin. This had two floors of apartments with kitchens and servants quarters below and a full-height long gallery with ten huge windows. State rooms for entertaining important guests were added later.
The third building on the site is a huge indoor riding school, with stables and a forge. Here William, one of the best horsemen in England, could train horses and demonstrate his riding skills to visitors in the viewing gallery. The interior has stone walls and exposed wooden roof beams - a complete contrast to Little Castle.
Architectural style
A seventeenth century residence. The mason-architects were the Smythson family: Robert, his son John and grandson Huntingdon.
Building highlights
- Three totally different buildings – a carefully restored fairytale castle, a grand ruin and a riding school – which students can compare and contrast
- Little Castle with fully restored bedrooms, reception rooms, servants quarters, kitchens, bakery, game larder and wine cellar – useful for study of domestic life, interior design and decoration
- Still visible structure of the keep, inner and outer bailey of the medieval castle, for students to explore ruins and changes over time
Pupils learn about the star chamber © English Heritage photo library
Quirky facts
- The huge columns flanking the entrance to the terrace range are carved from single blocks of stone.
- The turrets of Little Castle contain ‘stool closets’ (toilets) – not much use for defence!
- The terrace range is in ruins because William’s descendants stripped the lead from the roof to repair their new home at Welbeck Abbey.
Using this building as a teaching resource
Standing in the great court, students can see three contrasting architectural styles, built within a similar period. This helps them to recognise how clients and architects draw on personal taste, building function and architectural styles from other periods.
Students can imagine the interests and character of Charles and William from the choices they made. They can use their own cultural experiences and creative skills to think about what they would have done to the same space.
The ruined riding school demonstrates the effects of weathering on a roofless building and shows the importance of maintenance and conservation of buildings of all ages.
Suggested activities
Key stage 2/3 - Art and design
The buildings and decorations at Bolsover Castle reflect the tastes and interests of the people who built it. If you had inherited this land, what would you have built on it? Choose one room inside your ‘fantasy home’ and plan how you would design and decorate it to show your interests and tastes.
Key Stage 3 – Citizenship
Look for all the places at Bolsover Castle where there is evidence of maintenance and conservation. Why have some parts of the building been conserved and others left? Ideas storm and research the maintenance or conservation work that has to be carried out on your school building. Who decides what the priorities are?
Key Stage 2 – Art and design and Science
Bolsover Castle has many arches of different shapes and sizes. Draw three that are very different from each other. Make notes on the drawings about the size, structure and function of each arch. Look at the materials the arches are made from, at the size and shapes of the individual parts and think about how the parts hold together.
Region
East Midlands
Location
Bolsover, near Chesterfield, Derbyshire S44 6PR
Accessibility
School visits to Bolsover Castle and all other English Heritage sites are free.Bolsover Castle discovery visits are £75 a group. English Heritage
- Meet a medieval soldier (Key stage 1, 2, 3 History)
- Art and symbolism – the Cavendish code (Key stage 2, 3 Art and design, History)
- The English Civil War (Key stage 2, 3 History)
To book a visit, see details on the English Heritage website or call 01604 735440
Further information
English Heritage– information on Bolsover Castle
