John Bangay with Her Grace, The Duchess of Rutland
Belvoir Castle sits high on a hill above the beautiful Vale of Belvoir, one of England’s most romantic and beautifully situated stately homes. It gets its name from the French ‘Belle Vue’ or ‘beautiful view’, given to it by the Norman invader Robert De Todeni, who had been William the Conqueror’s flag-bearer at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
The local Saxons struggled to pronounce ‘Belle Vue’ so the title ‘Belvoir’ gradually emerged. The present castle was rebuilt after a disastrous fire, and was largely designed and rebuilt by James Wyatt, the great neo-gothic architect, assisted by Elizabeth Howard, wife of the 5th Duke, an enthusiastic student of architecture and the applied arts. It has magnificent state rooms, frequently used for television and film productions, as well as a great armoury of 18th century musketry.
It is said that the English tradition of afternoon tea originated here in 1840, a tradition which quickly spread across the British Empire. Earlier in the 17th century, a murky tale of witchcraft and deception emerged at the height of the witchcraft trials, leading to the execution of two young women who ‘confessed’ to witchcraft.
In the 19th century the great landscape gardener, Capability Brown redesigned the gardens and parklands, one of his last and greatest creations.
For more information please visit www.belvoircastle.com
Location NG32 1PE. Telephone: +44 1476 871004