Bolton Castle
Encyclopedia
Bolton Castle in North Yorkshire
, is located in Wensleydale
in the Yorkshire Dales
. The nearby village Castle Bolton
takes its name from the castle. The castle is a Grade I listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument
. The castle was damaged in the English Civil War
, but much of it remains. It has never been sold and is still in the ownership of the descendants of the Scrope family, and is now a tourist attraction.
. Construction was reputed to cost 18,000 Marks. The licence to build it was granted in July 1379 and a contract with the mason Johan Lewyn was made in September 1378. Leland described 'An Astronomical Clock' in the courtyard and how smoke was conveyed from the hearth in the hall through tunnels. Bolton Castle was described by Sir Francis Knollys as having 'The highest walls of any house he had seen'.
The first recorded major event took place in 1536 during the lordship of Sir John Scrope, 8th Baron Scrope of Bolton
, who not only supported the Pilgrimage of Grace
rebellion against the reforms of King Henry VIII
but gave Adam Sedbar, Abbot of Jervaulx
, sanctuary in the castle. In consequence John Scrope had to flee to Skipton pursued by the King's men but Sedbar was caught and executed. In retribution the king ordered the castle to be torched, causing extensive damage but within a few years the damage had been repaired and Sir John had regained his seat in Parliament.
The most famous event to have taken place in the castle's history was the stay by Mary, Queen of Scots. After her defeat in Scotland at the Battle of Langside
in 1568 she abdicated and fled to England, posing a threat to the position of the Protestant Queen Elizabeth I. Although Mary was initially held in Carlisle under the watch of Henry Scrope, 9th Baron Scrope of Bolton
, Carlisle proved unsuitable and in July 1568 Mary was moved to Bolton Castle. Mary was given Henry Scrope's own apartments in the South-West tower. Of her retinue of 51 knights, servants and ladies-in-waiting only 30 of her men and six ladies-in-waiting were able to stay in the castle, the rest taking lodgings nearby. Her retinue included cooks, grooms, hairdresser, embroiderer, apothecary, physician and surgeon. Bolton Castle was not initially suitable for housing a Queen, and tapestries, rugs and furniture were borrowed from local houses and nearby Barnard Castle in County Durham. Queen Elizabeth herself loaned some pewter vessels as well as a copper kettle. Mary was allowed to wander the surrounding lands and often went hunting. Her prime occupation while at the castle was having her hair done. But Sir Francis Knollys
, whom Mary nicknamed 'Schoolmaster', taught her English, as she only spoke French and Latin. She even met with local Catholics, something for which Knollys and Scrope were severely reprimanded. In January 1569 Mary left Bolton Castle for the last time, being taken to Tutbury in Staffordshire where she spent 18 years before her execution in 1587.
Bolton Castle was inherited after the death of Emanuel Scrope, 1st Earl of Sunderland
by his illegitimate son John who, like much of Yorkshire, declared for the King during the English Civil War. From Autumn 1644 until November 1645 the castle was besieged by Parliamentary forces, with the North-West tower suffering the brunt of their bombardment, Sir John surrendering only after the last of the horses and all other animals had been eaten, with the Royalist troops inside starving. The defeated garrison were allowed to leave with colours flying, their military commander Col. Chaytor being reputed to have cut off his own hand and thrown it to the besiegers. The castle, after two years of occupation by Parliamentary forces, was ordered in 1647 to be slighted with much of it pulled down and John Scrope fined £7,000. This was never paid in his lifetime as, after being weakened by the siege, John died in London of the plague in 1646 aged only 23.
The castle is currently owned by Harry, the eighth Lord Bolton, who resides at nearby Bolton Hall
, which was originally built in 1675. Bolton Castle is run by his son and daughter-in-law, Tom and Katie Orde-Powlett.
Several movies and television productions have used the site as a location including Ivanhoe
, Elizabeth
, Heartbeat, and All Creatures Great and Small.
There is a garden and a vineyard on the site in addition to the castle.
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, is located in Wensleydale
Wensleydale
Wensleydale is the valley of the River Ure on the east side of the Pennines in North Yorkshire, England.Wensleydale lies in the Yorkshire Dales National Park – one of only a few valleys in the Dales not currently named after its principal river , but the older name, "Yoredale", can still be seen...
in the Yorkshire Dales
Yorkshire Dales
The Yorkshire Dales is the name given to an upland area in Northern England.The area lies within the historic county boundaries of Yorkshire, though it spans the ceremonial counties of North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Cumbria...
. The nearby village Castle Bolton
Castle Bolton
Castle Bolton is a village near Bolton Castle in Wensleydale, North Yorkshire, England. It gets its name from the castle which looks over the village green....
takes its name from the castle. The castle is a Grade I listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...
. The castle was damaged in the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, but much of it remains. It has never been sold and is still in the ownership of the descendants of the Scrope family, and is now a tourist attraction.
The castle
It was built between 1378 and 1399 by Richard le Scrope, 1st Baron Scrope of Bolton, and is an example of a quadrangular castleQuadrangular castle
A quadrangular castle or courtyard castle is a type of castle characterised by ranges of buildings which are integral with the curtain walls, enclosing a central ward or quadrangle, and typically with angle towers. There is no keep and frequently no distinct gatehouse...
. Construction was reputed to cost 18,000 Marks. The licence to build it was granted in July 1379 and a contract with the mason Johan Lewyn was made in September 1378. Leland described 'An Astronomical Clock' in the courtyard and how smoke was conveyed from the hearth in the hall through tunnels. Bolton Castle was described by Sir Francis Knollys as having 'The highest walls of any house he had seen'.
The first recorded major event took place in 1536 during the lordship of Sir John Scrope, 8th Baron Scrope of Bolton
John Scrope, 8th Baron Scrope of Bolton
John le Scrope, 8th Baron Scrope of Bolton was the son of Henry le Scrope, 7th Baron Scrope of Bolton and Mabel Dacre....
, who not only supported the Pilgrimage of Grace
Pilgrimage of Grace
The Pilgrimage of Grace was a popular rising in York, Yorkshire during 1536, in protest against Henry VIII's break with the Roman Catholic Church and the Dissolution of the Monasteries, as well as other specific political, social and economic grievances. It was done in action against Thomas Cromwell...
rebellion against the reforms of King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
but gave Adam Sedbar, Abbot of Jervaulx
Adam Sedbar, Abbot of Jervaulx
Adam Sedbar or Sedbergh was the 23rd and last Abbot of Jervaulx Abbey in Wensleydale, YorkshireAdam Sedbar had been elected abbot of the Cistercian abbey of Jervaulx in 1533 when Henry VIII introduced his plans for the Dissolution of the MonasteriesHe was persuaded in 1536, somewhat reluctantly,...
, sanctuary in the castle. In consequence John Scrope had to flee to Skipton pursued by the King's men but Sedbar was caught and executed. In retribution the king ordered the castle to be torched, causing extensive damage but within a few years the damage had been repaired and Sir John had regained his seat in Parliament.
The most famous event to have taken place in the castle's history was the stay by Mary, Queen of Scots. After her defeat in Scotland at the Battle of Langside
Battle of Langside
The Battle of Langside, fought on 13 May 1568, was one of the more unusual contests in Scottish history, bearing a superficial resemblance to a grand family quarrel, in which a mother fought her brother who was defending the rights of her infant son...
in 1568 she abdicated and fled to England, posing a threat to the position of the Protestant Queen Elizabeth I. Although Mary was initially held in Carlisle under the watch of Henry Scrope, 9th Baron Scrope of Bolton
Henry Scrope, 9th Baron Scrope of Bolton
Sir Henry Scrope, 9th Baron Scrope of Bolton, KG was the son and heir of John Scrope, 8th Baron Scrope of Bolton and Catherine Clifford, daughter of Henry Clifford, Earl of Cumberland....
, Carlisle proved unsuitable and in July 1568 Mary was moved to Bolton Castle. Mary was given Henry Scrope's own apartments in the South-West tower. Of her retinue of 51 knights, servants and ladies-in-waiting only 30 of her men and six ladies-in-waiting were able to stay in the castle, the rest taking lodgings nearby. Her retinue included cooks, grooms, hairdresser, embroiderer, apothecary, physician and surgeon. Bolton Castle was not initially suitable for housing a Queen, and tapestries, rugs and furniture were borrowed from local houses and nearby Barnard Castle in County Durham. Queen Elizabeth herself loaned some pewter vessels as well as a copper kettle. Mary was allowed to wander the surrounding lands and often went hunting. Her prime occupation while at the castle was having her hair done. But Sir Francis Knollys
Francis Knollys (the elder)
Sir Francis Knollys , of Greys Court, in Oxfordshire, KG was an English courtier in the service and favour of Henry VIII, Edward VI and Elizabeth I of England, and was a Member of Parliament for a number of constituencies....
, whom Mary nicknamed 'Schoolmaster', taught her English, as she only spoke French and Latin. She even met with local Catholics, something for which Knollys and Scrope were severely reprimanded. In January 1569 Mary left Bolton Castle for the last time, being taken to Tutbury in Staffordshire where she spent 18 years before her execution in 1587.
Bolton Castle was inherited after the death of Emanuel Scrope, 1st Earl of Sunderland
Emanuel Scrope, 1st Earl of Sunderland
Emanuel Scrope, 1st Earl of Sunderland, 11th Baron Scrope of Bolton was an English nobleman. He was Lord President of the King's Council in the North.-Family:...
by his illegitimate son John who, like much of Yorkshire, declared for the King during the English Civil War. From Autumn 1644 until November 1645 the castle was besieged by Parliamentary forces, with the North-West tower suffering the brunt of their bombardment, Sir John surrendering only after the last of the horses and all other animals had been eaten, with the Royalist troops inside starving. The defeated garrison were allowed to leave with colours flying, their military commander Col. Chaytor being reputed to have cut off his own hand and thrown it to the besiegers. The castle, after two years of occupation by Parliamentary forces, was ordered in 1647 to be slighted with much of it pulled down and John Scrope fined £7,000. This was never paid in his lifetime as, after being weakened by the siege, John died in London of the plague in 1646 aged only 23.
The castle is currently owned by Harry, the eighth Lord Bolton, who resides at nearby Bolton Hall
Bolton Hall, North Yorkshire
Bolton Hall is a country house near Preston-under-Scar, Richmondshire, North Yorkshire, England. It was built in the late 17th century and rebuilt after a fire in 1902. It is a grade II listed building, as is an 18th century folly tower in the grounds....
, which was originally built in 1675. Bolton Castle is run by his son and daughter-in-law, Tom and Katie Orde-Powlett.
Several movies and television productions have used the site as a location including Ivanhoe
Ivanhoe (1952 film)
Ivanhoe is a 1952 historical film made by MGM. It was directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Pandro S. Berman. The cast featured Robert Taylor, Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Fontaine, George Sanders, Emlyn Williams, Finlay Currie and Felix Aylmer...
, Elizabeth
Elizabeth (film)
Elizabeth is a 1998 biographical film written by Michael Hirst, directed by Shekhar Kapur, and starring Cate Blanchett in the title role of Queen Elizabeth I of England, alongside Geoffrey Rush, Christopher Eccleston, Joseph Fiennes, Sir John Gielgud, Fanny Ardant and Richard Attenborough...
, Heartbeat, and All Creatures Great and Small.
There is a garden and a vineyard on the site in addition to the castle.