Editing Bolingbroke Castle

{{Short description|Roman villa in Lincolnshire, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2025}}

{{Infobox military installation
| name          = Bolingbroke Castle
| partof        = [[Lincolnshire]]
| location      = [[Bolingbroke, Lincolnshire|Bolingbroke]], [[England]]
| coordinates   = 
| image         = Old-Bolingbroke-Castle.jpg
| image_size    = 300px
| caption       = The ruined [[defensive walls|walls]] of Bolingbroke Castle
| type          = Enclosure castle
| code          = 
| built         = {{circa|1220}}
| builder       = [[Ranulf de Blondeville, 6th Earl of Chester|Ranulf, Earl of Chester]]
| materials     = Spilsby Greenstone <br /> [[Timber]] <br /> [[Soil|Earth]]
| height        = 
| used          = 13th to 15th century
| demolished    = {{circa|1652}}
| condition     = Ruins
| ownership     = Henry Castle
| open_to_public = yes
| controlledby  = [[Heritage Lincolnshire]]
| garrison      = 
| current_commander = 
| commanders    = 
| occupants     = 
| battles       = [[Battle of Winceby]]
| events        = Birthplace of [[Henry IV of England|Henry of Bolingbroke]]
}}
'''Bolingbroke Castle''' is a ruined castle in [[Bolingbroke, Lincolnshire|Bolingbroke]] (now '''Old Bolingbroke''') in [[Lincolnshire]], England.

==Construction==
[[Image:Boly towers.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Reconstruction of the north face of the castle, showing the gatehouse]]
Most of the castle is built of [[Spilsby]] [[greensand (geology)|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 was originally surrounded by a large water-filled [[moat]] {{convert|31|m}} wide. The [[Curtain wall (fortification)|curtain wall]] was up to {{convert|5|m}} 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 Castle|Beeston]] in Cheshire, Bolingbroke 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 [[Château de Boulogne-sur-Mer|Boulogne-sur-Mer]], France that was also constructed without a [[keep|central donjon]].

==History==
The area was first fortified by the Saxons in the 6th or 7th century. In the 12th century the [[Norman people|Norman]]s built a [[Motte-and-bailey]] on a nearby hill above the settlement of Bolingbroke.<ref name="history">{{cite web|url=http://community.lincolnshire.gov.uk/BolingbrokeCastle/section.asp?catId=21791|title=Bolingbroke Castle - a brief history|access-date=29 May 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090622105725/http://community.lincolnshire.gov.uk/BolingbrokeCastle/section.asp?catId=21791|archive-date=22 June 2009}}</ref>
The present structure was founded by [[Ranulf de Blondeville, 6th Earl of Chester|Ranulf, Earl of Chester]], in 1220 shortly after he returned from the [[Fifth Crusade]].<ref name=PS1>{{cite PastScape|mnumber=354204|mname=Bolingbroke Castle|access-date=3 May 2013}}</ref>

Ranulf died in 1232 without a male heir, and his titles, lands and castles passed to his sisters. Following the death of [[Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster]] in 1361 Bolingbroke passed through marriage into the ownership of [[John of Gaunt]]. His wife [[Blanche of Lancaster]], daughter of Henry of Grosmont, was born at the castle in 1342. John and Blanche's son, [[Henry IV of England|Henry (the future Henry IV)]], was also born at Bolingbroke Castle in 1367 and consequently was known as "Henry Bolingbroke" before he became king in 1399.{{sfn|Brown|Summerson|2004}}<ref name=PS1/>

By the 15th and 16th century, the castle had fallen into disrepair although repairs were carried out during the [[Tudor period]]. The castle was used by auditors of the [[Duchy of Lancaster]]. Structures were named after the officials, including the "Receiver's Tower" and the "Feodary's Tower". Lead for the roof of the gatehouse was brought from an abandoned chapel at [[Trusthorpe]].<ref>[[Howard Colvin]], ''History of the King's Works'', 3:1 (London: HMSO, 1975), p. 235.</ref> In 1636 a survey found that all of the towers were effectively beyond repair.<ref name="history"/>

At the start of the [[First English Civil War]], Bolingbroke was again put to use as a military fortification garrisoned by [[Royalist|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 [[Roundheads|Parliamentarians]] but due to defeats elsewhere was relinquished again. In 1652 the castle was [[slighting|slighted]] to prevent any further use. The towers and walls were torn down and dumped into the moat.<ref name="history"/>

The last major structure collapsed in 1815.

==Present day==
[[File:Bolingbroke Castle re-enactment - 1 of 3 - geograph.org.uk - 596906.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|A major re-enactment in 2003 as part of a project to commemorate the 360th anniversary of the events of 1643]]
The castle, which is now a national monument, was excavated in the 1960s and 1970s. It was maintained by [[English Heritage]] until 1995 when [[Heritage Lincolnshire]] took charge. 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]].<ref name=SS>{{cite news|title=Bolingbroke Castle to host open air Shakespeare show|url=http://www.skegnessstandard.co.uk/news/business/bolingbroke-castle-to-host-open-air-shakespeare-show-1-3983360|access-date=6 May 2013|newspaper=Skegness Standard|date=22 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180107061241/https://www.skegnessstandard.co.uk/news/business/bolingbroke-castle-to-host-open-air-shakespeare-show-1-3983360|archive-date=7 January 2018}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Castles in Great Britain and Ireland]]
* [[List of castles in England]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
*{{cite ODNB |last1=Brown |first1=A. L. |last2=Summerson |first2=Henry |title=Henry IV [''known as'' Henry Bolingbroke] |year=2004 |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/12951}}
*{{cite book
  | last = Matarasso
  | first = Francois
  | title = The English Castle
  | publisher = Cassell
  | year = 1995
  | location = London
  | page = [https://archive.org/details/englishcastle00fran/page/224 224]
  | url = https://archive.org/details/englishcastle00fran/page/224
  | isbn = 1-84067-230-7
  | url-access = registration
  }}
*{{cite book|title=The history of the King's Works: the Middle Ages|volume=2 |year=1963|publisher=Her Majesty's Stationery Office|location=London|pages=571–2|first1=R. |last1=Allen Brown |first2=H. M. |last2=Colvin |first3=A. J. |last3=Taylor |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofkingswo0002envi}}
*{{cite book|last=Sylvanius Urban|title=Gentleman's Magazine and Historical Review |year=1821 |publisher=John Harris & Son|location=London|volume=91 part 2 |page=305 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K6TPAAAAMAAJ&q=bolingbroke+castle&pg=PA305|access-date=3 May 2013|chapter=Bolingbroke Castle}}
*{{cite journal |author=Drewett P. L. |author2=Freke D. J. |date=1974 |title=The Great Hall at Bolingbroke Castle, Lincolnshire |journal=Medieval Archaeology |department=Notes and News |volume=18 |pages=163–165 |doi=10.5284/1071570 |url=https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archiveDS/archiveDownload?t=arch-769-1/dissemination/pdf/vol18/18_163_165.pdf}}
*{{cite journal |author=Thompson, M. W. |date=1966 |title=The Origins of Bolingbroke Castle |journal=Medieval Archaeology |department=Notes and News |volume=10 |pages=152–158 |doi=10.5284/1071452 |url=https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archiveDS/archiveDownload?t=arch-769-1/dissemination/pdf/vol10/10_152_158.pdf}}
*{{cite journal |author=Thompson, M. W. |author-mask=2 |date=1969 |title=Further Work at Bolingbroke Castle |journal=Medieval Archaeology |department=Notes and News |volume=13 |pages=216–217 |doi=10.5284/1071496 |url=https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archiveDS/archiveDownload?t=arch-769-1/dissemination/pdf/vol13/13_216_217.pdf}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Bolingbroke Castle}}
*[http://www.bolingbrokecastle.com/ Friends of Bolingbroke Castle]
*[https://www.heritagelincolnshire.org/sites/bolingbroke-castle Heritage Trust of Lincolnshire: Bolingbroke Castle] 
*{{cite web|title=Bolingbroke Castle|url=http://community.lincolnshire.gov.uk/BolingbrokeCastle/index.asp?catId=21787|publisher=Lincolnshire county council|access-date=6 May 2013|author=Friends of Bolingbroke castle|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120729143017/http://community.lincolnshire.gov.uk/BolingbrokeCastle/index.asp?catId=21787|archive-date=29 July 2012|ref=none}}

{{Duchy of Lancaster}}
{{coord|53.165161|N|0.016942|E|type:landmark_scale:10000_region:GB|display=title}}
[[Category:Duchy of Lancaster]]
[[Category:Castles in Lincolnshire]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Lincolnshire]]
[[Category:English Heritage sites in Lincolnshire]]
[[Category:Ruins in Lincolnshire]]
[[Category:Grade I listed castles]]
[[Category:Grade I listed buildings in Lincolnshire]]
[[Category:Ruined castles in England]]
[[Category:Grade I listed ruins]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures demolished in the 17th century]]