Bolingbroke Castle
Encyclopedia
Bolingbroke Castle is a ruined castle in Bolingbroke
(or Old Bolingbroke) Lincolnshire
, England
.
Most of the castle is built of Spilsby
greenstone, as are several nearby churches. The local greenstone is a limestone that proved to be porous, prone to rapid deterioration when exposed to weather and a substandard building material. The castle was constructed as an irregular polygonal enclosure. The castle is one of the earliest examples of a uniform castle designed and built without a keep
. It originally was surrounded by a large water-filled moat
31 metres (101.7 ft) wide. The curtain wall
was up to 5 metres (16.4 ft) feet thick and defended by five D-shaped towers and a twin-towered gate house.
Similar to another castle built by Ranulf during the same period at Beeston
in Cheshire, Bolingroke had no inner defensive keep. The castle relied instead on thick walls and the five D shaped defensive corner towers. Some design similarities are noted with the contemporary castle at Boulogne-sur-Mer
, France that was also constructed without a central donjon
.
on a nearby hill above the settlement of Bolingbroke.
The present structure was founded by Ranulf, Earl of Chester, in 1220 shortly after he returned from the Fifth Crusade
.
Ranulf died in 1232 without a male heir, and his titles, lands and castles passed to his sisters. By 1311 Bolingbroke had passed through marriage into the ownership of John of Gaunt
and the House of Lancaster
.
In 1366, Henry IV
, John's son, was born at Bolingbroke, and was thus known before he became king as "Henry of Bolingbroke", in the same manner as his father's name came from his place of birth at Ghent
. Two years later Henry's mother, Blanche of Lancaster
, died from plague
at the castle.
By the 15th and 16th century, the castle had fallen into disrepair although repairs were carried out during the Tudor period
. In 1636 a survey found that all of the towers were effectively beyond repair.
At the start of the First English Civil War
, Bolingbroke was again put to use as a military fortification garrisoned by Royalist forces
. In 1643 it was badly damaged in a siege during the Battle of Winceby
. The following year, the castle was recaptured from the Parliamentarians but due to defeats elsewhere was relinquished again. In 1652 the castle was "slighted" to prevent any further use. The towers and walls were torn down and dumped into the moat.
The last major structure collapsed in 1815.
up until 1995 when Heritage Lincolnshire
took ownership. Much of the lower walls are still visible as are the ground floors of the towers. In the summertime, the castle is home to numerous events including performances of Shakespeare.
Bolingbroke, Lincolnshire
Bolingbroke, now called Old Bolingbroke, is a village near Spilsby in Lincolnshire, England. The village of New Bolingbroke lies to the south-west.The Prime Meridian passes to the west of Old Bolingbroke.-Bolingbroke Castle:...
(or Old Bolingbroke) Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Construction
Spilsby
Spilsby is a market town and civil parish in Lincolnshire. England. The town is situated adjacent to the main A16 Trunk Road at the southern edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds north of the Fenlands, east of the county town of Lincoln, north east of Boston and north west from Skegness.The town has...
greenstone, as are several nearby churches. The local greenstone is a limestone that proved to be porous, prone to rapid deterioration when exposed to weather and a substandard building material. The castle was constructed as an irregular polygonal enclosure. The castle is one of the earliest examples of a uniform castle designed and built without a keep
Keep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
. It originally was surrounded by a large water-filled moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
31 metres (101.7 ft) wide. The curtain wall
Curtain wall
A curtain wall is an outer covering of a building in which the outer walls are non-structural, but merely keep out the weather. As the curtain wall is non-structural it can be made of a lightweight material reducing construction costs. When glass is used as the curtain wall, a great advantage is...
was up to 5 metres (16.4 ft) feet thick and defended by five D-shaped towers and a twin-towered gate house.
Similar to another castle built by Ranulf during the same period at Beeston
Beeston Castle
Beeston Castle is a former Royal castle in Beeston, Cheshire, England , perched on a rocky sandstone crag above the Cheshire Plain. It was built in the 1220s by Ranulf de Blondeville, 6th Earl of Chester, , on his return from the Crusades...
in Cheshire, Bolingroke had no inner defensive keep. The castle relied instead on thick walls and the five D shaped defensive corner towers. Some design similarities are noted with the contemporary castle at Boulogne-sur-Mer
Château de Boulogne-sur-Mer
The Château de Boulogne-sur-Mer is a castle in the French seaport of Boulogne-sur-Mer, in the Pas-de-Calais département. It houses the Boulogne museum....
, France that was also constructed without a central donjon
Keep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
.
History
The area was first fortified by the Saxons in the 6th or 7th century. In the 12th century the Normans built a Motte-and-baileyMotte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
on a nearby hill above the settlement of Bolingbroke.
The present structure was founded by Ranulf, Earl of Chester, in 1220 shortly after he returned from the Fifth Crusade
Fifth Crusade
The Fifth Crusade was an attempt to reacquire Jerusalem and the rest of the Holy Land by first conquering the powerful Ayyubid state in Egypt....
.
Ranulf died in 1232 without a male heir, and his titles, lands and castles passed to his sisters. By 1311 Bolingbroke had passed through marriage into the ownership of John of Gaunt
John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster
John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster , KG was a member of the House of Plantagenet, the third surviving son of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault...
and the House of Lancaster
House of Lancaster
The House of Lancaster was a branch of the royal House of Plantagenet. It was one of the opposing factions involved in the Wars of the Roses, an intermittent civil war which affected England and Wales during the 15th century...
.
In 1366, Henry IV
Henry IV of England
Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...
, John's son, was born at Bolingbroke, and was thus known before he became king as "Henry of Bolingbroke", in the same manner as his father's name came from his place of birth at Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
. Two years later Henry's mother, Blanche of Lancaster
Blanche of Lancaster
Blanche of Lancaster, Duchess of Lancaster was an English noblewoman and heiress, daughter of England's wealthiest and most powerful peer, Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster...
, died from plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
at the castle.
By the 15th and 16th century, the castle had fallen into disrepair although repairs were carried out during the Tudor period
Tudor period
The Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII...
. In 1636 a survey found that all of the towers were effectively beyond repair.
At the start of the First English Civil War
First English Civil War
The First English Civil War began the series of three wars known as the English Civil War . "The English Civil War" was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations that took place between Parliamentarians and Royalists from 1642 until 1651, and includes the Second English Civil War and...
, Bolingbroke was again put to use as a military fortification garrisoned by Royalist forces
Royalist
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of government, but not necessarily a particular monarch...
. In 1643 it was badly damaged in a siege during the Battle of Winceby
Battle of Winceby
The Battle of Winceby took place on 11 October 1643 during the English Civil War near the village of Winceby, Lincolnshire about 4 miles east of Horncastle.-Prelude:...
. The following year, the castle was recaptured from the Parliamentarians but due to defeats elsewhere was relinquished again. In 1652 the castle was "slighted" to prevent any further use. The towers and walls were torn down and dumped into the moat.
The last major structure collapsed in 1815.
Present day
The castle, which is now a national monument, was excavated in the 1960s and 1970s. It was maintained by English HeritageEnglish Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
up until 1995 when Heritage Lincolnshire
Heritage Lincolnshire
The Heritage Trust of Lincolnshire or Heritage Lincolnshire in the shortened form of its name, is an independent charitable trust working to preserve, protect, promote and present Lincolnshire's heritage for the benefit of local people and visitors. It is based in Heckington near Sleaford...
took ownership. Much of the lower walls are still visible as are the ground floors of the towers. In the summertime, the castle is home to numerous events including performances of Shakespeare.