Belvoir Castle

Over het museum

A first castle was built on the hill above the Vale of Belvoir soon after the Norman Conquest by Robert de Todeni, standard-bearer to William the Conqueror. The estate came to the Manners family in 1508 through marriage, and the family, later the Dukes of Rutland, has lived here ever since. The medieval and Tudor buildings were damaged in the Wars of the Roses and destroyed in the Civil War, and a new house in a more classical style was built in the 1650s and 1660s.

In the early 19th century the 5th Duke and his wife Elizabeth commissioned the architect James Wyatt to rebuild the castle in the fashionable Gothic Revival style that visitors see today. The work lasted until the 1830s. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visited in 1841. During the First World War the castle served as a military hospital, and in the Second World War it was used by the army.

Today Belvoir is still the family home of the Duke and Duchess of Rutland, and it also opens its state rooms, gardens and estate to the public. The rooms include the Regents Gallery, the Elizabeth Saloon, the Ballroom and the State Dining Room, and the library holds around 16,000 volumes. The castle has appeared in many films and television productions, among them The Crown.

Hoogtepunten

• Regents Gallery, a long Regency-style room 131 feet in length
• Elizabeth Saloon in French Rococo style
• Ballroom with a ceiling modelled on Lincoln Cathedral
• State Dining Room with a ceiling of 91 different flowers
• Formal gardens, woodland and adventure playground
• Animal Park and retail village

Vaste collectie

• State rooms of Belvoir Castle – The Regency and Gothic Revival interiors of the castle, including the Regents Gallery, the Elizabeth Saloon, the Ballroom and the State Dining Room.

Opgericht

1067

Beheerder

Belvoir Castle (Dukes of Rutland)

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

The prices shown are the ticket office reference prices for the castle, gardens and playground. Online prices can differ, and group saver offers may apply at checkout. Parking costs £4 per day.

Toegankelijkheid

• Deels rolstoeltoegankelijk
• Lift: niet aanwezig
• Aangepast toilet
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats
• Hulphonden welkom
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
• Audiodescriptie: geen informatie

Access inside the castle is limited to the ground floor, which has the Guard Room, Entrance Hall, Old Kitchen, Aviary Tea Room and gift shop; the upper floors can only be reached by stairs and there is no lift. A guidebook with photographs and videos of the upper rooms can be borrowed free of charge from the Visitor Hub. Parts of the gardens are wheelchair accessible by a designated route, while others have steep slopes and steps. The retail village is fully accessible. Accessible toilets are at the castle entrance, in the gardens and in the retail village. Blue Badge spaces are about 50 metres from the ticket office, and a permit for the car park at the top of the hill can be collected at the ticket office. Large print guides and written guides for tours are available, and assistance dogs are welcome everywhere.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Speeltuin / speelhoek

There is an adventure playground and an Animal Park, and the estate runs seasonal family trails, such as an Enchanted Halloween Trail in October and a Mice Trail through the castle at Christmas.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

From the A1, take the Grantham exit and follow the castle signs. The what3words address fake.shipwreck.guises leads to the car park entrance. Roads can be busier than usual during large events.

Service & horeca

• Café
• Restaurant
• Museumwinkel

Aviary Tea Room in the castle, and Belvoir Bistro and a woodfired pizza restaurant in the retail village, both open daily 10:00–17:00. There is a gift shop in the castle, and the retail village has shops and a farm shop.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

• Ruimtes te huur
• Privéfeesten
• Zakelijke evenementen
• Bruiloften / trouwceremonies

The Balloon Bar in the retail village can be hired for celebrations and corporate events. The castle is also offered for weddings and other celebrations.

Je bezoek plannen