Romance without a roof (Bolsover Castle)

Member Name: Happyjaw

Product:	Bolsover Castle
Date:	16/08/08 (42 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A beautiful venue

Disadvantages: Large entry prices for just the castle or special events

This is one of my favourites of the English Heritage venues, I have some wonderful memories of days out. A romantic date sat enjoying wine and roast chicken on the ballroom steps facing out over the countryside, a date watching the local re-enactment society and joining in the dancing and another time watching the travails of King Arthur by a performance group.

Visibly towering over the surrounding countryside from its hilltop and visible from the M1 motorway, Bolsover occupies the site of a medieval castle built by the Peverel family shortly after the Norman Conquest.
Sir Charles Cavendish purchased the old castle in 1612 and began renovation and expansion on his 'Little Castle' project. Despite its wounded appearance, Cavendish' masterpiece was not designed for war, but for sophisticated living.

Representative of a better time, it was created more as a retreat than a full time home and the architecture and decor inside the conserved areas are evidence of that.

There is restoration work being undertaken at the moment, bring back the majesty of the battlements and the Venus Gardens, the fountain is in use again after hundreds of years frozen in time.
Furthermore, a series of paintings or enormous value historically have recently been returned to the castle, again creating more of the view of what would have stood there hundreds of years ago.

The buildings are beautiful, built in more than one stage, the architecture is somewhat inconsistent but gorgeous nonetheless. Parts of the buildings are preserved and redecorated to give a better example of the standard of living for the various class levels which would have resided there.
There is an audio tape tour you can enjoy as you wander the grounds and gain some real knowledge about the history.
There are often events here, especially through summer and autumn, and it really helps make it a full day out.
Bonfire night and Christmas both get a nod in the events calendar too, with a fantastic fireworks display for one and a wonderful festive market for the other. The market can be really expensive and parking very limited for both events.
A smaller than average gift shop but still worth picking something up from there to remember your visit.

Summary: Make it worth while by combining a visit with a special event.