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BELVOIR CASTLE FACTS
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Location
Belvoir, Leicestershire, England
Description
Belvoir Castle is located near the town of Grantham in Leicestershire, overlooking the Vale of Belvoir. Belvoir (pronounced Beaver) is a stately home and a Grade I listed building. The castle is an irregularly shaped building with a number of adjoining rectangular structures and an impressive large round tower. The inside features lavish staterooms and many works of art. Rooms include the Elizabeth Saloon (named after the wife of the 5th Duke), the Regents Gallery and the State Dining Room. The castle sits in an estate of almost 30,000 acres. The castle is open to the public. and the landscaped grounds, nearer the castle, are open to the public.
There are numerous events held at the castle and park every weekend during the opening season, including Steam Festival, Napoleonic Wars, Medieval Jousting, Teddy Bears Picnics, Family Days, Morris Dancing and Open Air Concerts and Theatre. The castle is also available as a venue for weddings and corporate events.
History
The first castle on the site was an earth and timber structure built by the Normans. The castle passed to Robert de Ros in 1247 and was taken over by William, Lord Hastings in 1464. The castle returned to the de Ros family when Henry VII became king in 1485. Thomas Manners, 1st Earl of Rutland, who married into the de Ros family, built a new castle in the 16th century. Belvoir Castle was destroyed in 1649 by parliamentarian forces during the English Civil War. After the Civil War, the Earl of Rutland rebuilt the castle in 1654 as a mansion house with four wings around a central rectangular courtyard. Another major reconstruction was undertaken in the 19th century with work completed in 1830, converting Belvoir back to a traditional castle with towers, turrets and battlements in Gothic Revival style. Belvoir castle has been the home of the Manners family for five hundred years.
The Arts
Belvoir Castle has been used as a location for several films and television programmes: Little Lord Fauntleroy starring Sir Alec Guinness; The Da Vinci Code where it was used to portray Castel Gandolfo; The Young Victoria (2008)
Entry Pass
Last time we looked, Belvoir Castle was on the list of UK heritage properties that you can visit with your
- just buy the one-off pass, for free entry to over 580 UK heritage properties. (4, 7, 15 and 30 day passes available; non-UK residents only.) Check the The Great British Heritage Pass web site for the latest list of castles and other heritage properties covered by the pass
Other Castles in the Area
Newark Castle, Nottinghamshire
Nottingham Castle, Nottinghamshire
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