The neo-Gothic castle’s turrets and towers rise over a 16,000-acre estate in Leicestershire, England, like a fairy-tale illustration. Crowning a hill in the Vale of Belvoir, which means “beautiful view” in Norman French, the castle is acknowledged as one of England’s finest examples of Regency architecture. FlowFocusPhoto/Shutterstock
Belvoir Castle’s faux fortress dates back to 1801. Under the influence of his new wife Elizabeth Howard, John Manners, fifth Duke of Rutland, rebuilt the existing structure in the romantic Gothic Revival style. Since 1067, three castles—a Norman castle, Tudor manor, and a country house—stood on the spot where Belvoir Castle remains today. To stylistically return the castle to its origins, the duchess commissioned architect James Wyatt, the first prestigious English architect to fully embrace the developing Gothic Revival style.
Belvoir became Wyatt’s greatest Gothic triumph. Aside from the castle’s monumental 150,000 square-foot size, which the duke sold seven villages he owned to fund, Wyatt introduced significant architectural characteristics that were rare in the Gothic Revival style. He incorporated elements such as a massive central tower, which made Belvoir’s trompe l’oeil medieval appearance hearken back to an authentic fortress built to defend against invaders.
The castle’s militant exterior stands in stark contrast to its interior. Architecturally, Belvoir’s interior retains medieval and rustic elements in the vaulted entrance hall but segues into opulent staterooms. The interior is dominated with 19th-century luxury, including gold-trimmed Georgian furniture, exquisite marble fireplaces, brocade curtains for the windows, four-poster beds, and hand-painted chinoiserie wallpaper.
Similarly, the grounds give a 19th-century appearance: formal gardens decorated with statues and fountains and a small woodland surround most of the castle. In 2013, formal plans for the woodland garden designs by Lancelot “Capability” Brown, England’s prestigious 18th-century landscape architect, were discovered at Belvoir.
Delayed for over two centuries, the current duchess finally took control over the project. There are now over 180,000 trees in various stages of growth.
The Grand Staircase was rebuilt by the Gothic enthusiast Sir John Thoroton after a 1816 fire. Ascending from the castle’s entrance hall, the staircase leads to a light-filled, rib-vaulted cloister, reminiscent of a Romanesque or Gothic nave. At the top of the staircase, the first two portraits on display are John Manners, 1st Duke of Rutland by John Closterman, and his second wife Diana Bruce, countess of Rutland, by Peter Lely. FlowFocusPhoto/Shutterstock
The Roman state dining features a coffered ceiling with a decorative, garland frieze. What appears as semi-circular arched doorways are marble columned and mirrored framesthat give the stately dining room a greater sense of depth. A portrait of Charles Manners, the fourth duke of Rutland, by Joshua Reynolds hangs over the fireplace. FlowFocusPhoto/Shutterstock
The Elizabeth Saloon, located in the eastern tower, was designed and decorated by Elizabeth Howard. The painted ceiling depicts the duke and duchess surrounded by their children, which alludes to the amours of Jupiter and Juno. The saloon features luxurious Louis XV white and gold paneling and rose-red damask silk upholstered furniture. FlowFocusPhoto/Shutterstock
The castle’s Wellington Room displays one of England's most exquisite examples of antique Chinese wallpaper. The mid-18th-century chinoiserie panels were imported from China by the British East India Company. Set against a pistachio green background, the wallpaper’s opulent design features a garden scene with exotic birds and flora and fauna native to the southern Chinese mainland—peonies, irises, lily pads, and kumquat. FlowFocusPhoto/Shutterstock
A trail leads through woodland to the Duchess Garden. Originally cultivated by Elizabeth in 1815, the Regency garden—dotted with classical statues and water features—was known as the Spring Garden during the Victorian era because of the underground springs that kept the garden blooming year-round. FlowFocusPhoto/Shutterstock
The Regent’s Gallery stretches 131 feet and is used primarily to display the Dukes’ vast collection of artistic masterpieces, including a series of Gobelin tapestries once owned by Louis XIV of France. The tapestries tell the story of Don Quixote and were purchased in 1814 by the fifth duke. FlowFocusPhoto/Shutterstock
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James Baresel is a freelance writer who has contributed to periodicals as
varied as Fine Art Connoisseur, Military History, Claremont Review of Books,
and New Eastern Europe.
