 olton
Castle is open to visitors all year round. There are five floors,
sparsely furnished with tableaux depicting castle life in the 15th
century. Visitors usually roam around in their own time, but if you
would like a themed guided tour for a group please contact us
beforehand and arrange it. Built over 18 years it was completed in
1399. During the English Civil War Bolton was a royalist stronghold,
and was besieged and fell to Cromwell in 1645. The castle is
externally three-quarters complete and internally about a third; it
is one of the best preserved castles remaining in private ownership. |
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 n the
summer there are mediaeval living history and re-enactment events.
Most of the events are accessible to all ages. There are some
childrens' days, where children can dress-up and be mediaeval
children for the day or afternoon. There are also open-air
theatrical productions in the summer. |
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 ome of
the castle's history is depicted by Tableaux. Mary, Queen of Scots
was imprisoned in Bolton for 6 months after being transferred from
Carlisle Castle by Lord Henry Scrope, Warden of the West Marches and
Captain of Carlisle; under orders from Elizabeth I. While Mary was
'imprisoned' at Bolton she had 51 personal servants! You can see the
tableaux of her bedroom on the right. |
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 here is a
mediaeval garden, based on mediaeval plans which has recently been
rejuvenated to full glory. There is a walled herb garden with nearly
all of the indigenous herbs available today. There is also a
vineyard - the highest and second most northerly in England. Rose
Gardens, a Bowling Green (unused), a Maze and a growing orchard are
also feature; all managed by Dave Spenceley the gardener. |
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| here is a
shop which sells souvenirs and postcards and a tea-room which serves
a selection of home-made cakes, cream-teas and light lunches. The
local pubs & restaurants also provide a good lunch. Some areas on the lower floor are accessible by wheel-chair, but the staircases are too narrow to get a wheel-chair to the upper floors. |
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Admission
Charges:
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| Opening
Times:
April-September -
10am - 5pm Please ring and warn us before bringing large groups.
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 ensleydale
has many beautiful footpaths, over the moors, through the fields and
by the river Ure. We highly recommend making a day of your visit;
see the castle in the morning, eat in one of the local pubs, then go
for a walk in the afternoon.
Many of the footpaths go through SSSIs (Sites of Special Scientific Interest), which have some of the rarest flora & fauna in Europe. |
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