Photo: Belvoir Castle by Nancy, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
About this place
A castle has stood on this ridge above the Vale of Belvoir since 1067, though the building visitors see today is largely the work of the early 19th century.
Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire is the seat of the Dukes of Rutland, whose Manners family ancestors inherited the estate in 1508.
It is a Grade I listed building in the Gothic Revival style, rebuilt after a fire transformed an older house into the turreted silhouette seen from the vale below.
The castle remains in private ownership but opens to the public for visits.
Read more on WikipediaHistory
The first castle on this site was built shortly after the Norman Conquest and underwent several rebuilds before the current version emerged in the early 19th century. The Manners family, Dukes of Rutland, have held Belvoir since 1508. A serious fire in 1816 prompted major rebuilding that shaped the castle's present form.
Architecture
The present castle is a Gothic Revival rebuilding largely associated with the architect James Wyatt, giving it the turreted, romanticised outline typical of early 19th century mock castles rather than genuine medieval fortification.
Worth knowing
The castle sits at the heart of England's fox-hunting country. Despite its medieval appearance, most of what stands today dates from after the serious fire of 1816 rather than from the Norman or Tudor period.
Gardens & grounds
The grounds include formal gardens and wider parkland laid out to complement the castle's dramatic hilltop position over the Vale of Belvoir.
Facilities
Plan your visit
Nearest station: Bottesford Rail Station (3.5 miles)
Nearby properties
Harlaxton Manor
View Harlaxton Manor on heritage mapGrantham House
View Grantham House on heritage mapBelton House
View Belton House on heritage mapSt Mary's Church, Garthorpe
View St Mary's Church, Garthorpe on heritage mapWoolsthorpe Manor
View Woolsthorpe Manor on heritage mapHistoric places nearby
Within 5 miles of Belvoir Castle there are 1 historic properties, including 1 historic house.
Within 10 miles of Belvoir Castle there are 10 historic properties, including 5 churchs, 2 historic buildings and 2 historic houses, across Churches Conservation Trust, National Trust and Historic Houses sites.
Within 20 miles of Belvoir Castle there are 23 historic properties, including 11 churchs, 7 historic houses and 3 historic buildings, across Churches Conservation Trust, Historic Houses and National Trust sites.
Facts
A Norman site rebuilt as a Regency fantasy castle, still home to the same family after five centuries.
- Type
- historic house
- Location
- Leicestershire, England
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