History of Belvoir Castle that dates back over 500 years in one family ownership
History of Belvoir Castle.
The Manners family and the 11th Duke today David Manners have lived in the Castle for over 500 Years and Belvoir Castle enjoys a commanding position with breathtaking views across the Vale of Belvoir. On clear days you can see Nottingham castle and Lincoln Catherdral. The Castle is open to the public during the summer and you can look round the Castle itself, or walk through the secluded woodland grounds and Gardens followed by the peacocks!
The first
Robert who served as William the Conqueror's Standard Bearer during the Battle of Hastings. Robert de Todeni was also responsible for the construction of a priory adjacent to the castle. In the chapel you can see the tomb of Robert de Todini with its stone carved lid. He was originally buried in the chapel of the Benedictine Priory he had built in neighbouring Lincolnshire. When the priory fell into disrepair in the 18th-century, his Norman tomb was discovered and taken back to the chapel at Belvoir. Robert de Todini died in 1088.
The Elizabeth Saloon and the majesty of the State Dining Room to the delights of the Regents Gallery and the military splendour of the Guard Room, Belvoir possesses one of the most stunning interiors of the period. The present Castle is the fourth to have stood on the site since Norman times.The Civil War saw the castle demolished when it was surrendered to Roundhead troops.The existing Castle was completed in the early 19th century after previous buildings suffered complete or partial destruction during the Wars of the Roses, the Civil War and a major fire in 1816 when the castle was ravaged by fire, and so began the building of the ornate, richly decorated Castle being built and restored that we can see today.
Belvoir Castle by The Duchess of Rutland, with Jane Pruden (ISBN.9780711).
In this book The story of Belvoir Castle its contents and its inhabitants is told for the first time by The Duchess of Rutland. Tracing the history of the 36 generations of the family who have lived there, she conducts the reader on a tour through the exquisitely decorated rooms and the fabulous collections of one of Britain's great families.Belvoir Castle is one of the least known great houses in Britain. Rising like fairy palace over the Vale of Belvoir in Leicestershire and dating back originally to1067, it is the home of The Duke of Rutland and both one of the finest regency homes in England, and a treasure trove of great paintings and furniture. Published by Frances Lincoln.
Fine furniture, porcelain, silks and tapestries, sculptures and many fine paintings .
The Castle also contains a notable collection of fine furniture, porcelain, silks and tapestries, sculptures from all over the world and many fine paintings the famous being a life size painting of King Henry by Hans Holbein one of only four. Inside the castle are many notable collections, from the military treasures in the guardroom to the stunning staterooms with their impressive period art, tapestries, furniture and sculptures. In contrast to the grandeur of the State Rooms, the old kitchen and bakery will fuel your imagination of ‘below the stairs’ life in 1825 and how the meals and servents conducted their work. The school room and nursery are well equipped for children to experience lessons and play in regency times.
Belvoir Castle Pictures and fine works of art.
There are examples of fine French furniture,Italian sculpture alongside paintings by Gainsborough, Reynolds, Holbein and Poussin. The life size painting of Henry V111 by Holbein has the shoe that follows you around the room as you look at the painting.Trustees of Belvoir Castle are hoping to safeguard its future by selling a painting by the French artist Poussin. The 17th Century work entitled 'Ordination' was offered in auction at Christie's in London with a guide price of £15m to £20m.
The painting was bought by the Duke of Rutland more than 200 years ago.
The painting was one of a set of seven works entitled the Sacraments bought by the 4th Duke of Rutland in 1785. One work 'Penance' was lost in a fire at the castle in 1816 and another, 'Baptism', went to the National Gallery in Washington in 1946. In a statement the trustees of the Belvoir Estate said: "The proceeds released from the sale of the painting will enable us to realise our core aims of securing the restoration and long-term preservation of Belvoir Castle and the Belvoir Estate.
The Gardens at Belvoir Castle.
When Elizabeth (the 5th Duchess) commissioned James Wyatt to build the Castle in 1799 she undertook the design and landscaping of the gardens, park and grounds herself. She saw the entire Vale of Belvoir as her garden and was merely framing the views with her valley gardens. The gardens today are well worth visiting and Elizabeth's design and the feel of the individual gardens has many overtures brought back from the Grand Tour of an Italian terraced garden. The gardens facing Belvoir are a natural amphitheatre left by the moraines of two glaciers, she used this to her advantage.
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