Bolesworth Castle facts for kids

Bolesworth Castle is a beautiful old country house located about 3 kilometers (2 miles) south of Tattenhall village in Cheshire, England. It's officially recognized as a Grade II* listed building. This means it's a very important historic place that needs to be protected.

History of Bolesworth Castle

Bolesworth Castle was built in 1829 for George Walmesley. He was a businessman from Manchester. The castle was designed by an architect named William Cole. It was built on the same spot where an older house from 1750 once stood.

In 1856, a Scottish businessman named Robert Barbour bought the castle. He had started a successful cotton textile business in Manchester. Bolesworth Castle has stayed in the Barbour family ever since. Between 1920 and 1923, parts of the castle were updated by an architect named Clough Williams-Ellis.

Castle Architecture and Design

The grand gates leading to Bolesworth Castle's north drive.

A view of Bolesworth Castle.

The house is made from ashlar sandstone. This means the stones are cut very smoothly. It also has a special design feature called "castellated." This means it looks like a castle, with battlements and towers.

The castle mainly has two floors. It features wide, angled sections called "bays" in the middle and on the right side. There's also a large round bay on the left. In the center, set back a bit, is a three-story tower with small turrets.

Around the castle and in its large grounds, there are several other structures. These are also listed as Grade II historic buildings. They include:

• The walls and steps of the upper and middle terraces.
• The wall of the lower terrace.
• A small temple with a statue of Diana, a Roman goddess.
• The main park gates, gate pillars, and side walls on the north drive.
• Gate pillars on the drive coming from Chowley Lodge.
• An open shelter.
• A bridge that goes over the fishpond.
• A boat house.

Bolesworth Castle Today

In 1989, Anthony Barbour inherited the house and its large estate. The estate covers about 24 square kilometers (6,000 acres). This made him one of the biggest landowners in Cheshire. He worked hard to turn the estate into a place for small businesses. He fixed up old buildings and updated the 16 farms on the property. This helped create about 800 jobs in the area.

Anthony Barbour also replanted the garden. He added over 350 different kinds of trees. In 1998, he received a special award called the Bledisloe gold medal. This was from the Royal Agricultural Society of England for all his great work on the estate.

Anthony Barbour passed away in 2007. Since then, his wife, Diana, and his daughter, Nina, have taken care of the estate. Nina is now the director of the estate. She also organizes the yearly Bolesworth International show jumping event. This exciting event takes place right on the castle grounds.

Images for kids

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  Robert Barbour, who bought Bolesworth Castle in 1856.