Belvoir Castle
Sleeps / From £1,750 per night
Belvoir Castle is a stately home in the English county of Leicestershire, overlooking the Vale of Belvoir.
Belvoir Castle is the ancestral home of the Dukes of Rutland. The family have lived at Belvoir in an unbroken line for almost a thousand years. Crowning a hill in Leicestershire, its turrets and towers rise over the Vale of Belvoir like an illustration in a romantic fairytale.
The land was a gift from William the Conqueror to one of his Norman barons – Robert de Todeni who fought for him as his Standard Bearer at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The first castle which was begun in 1067, was constructed primarily to defend its Norman owners from attack, and so took full advantage of its defensive position high up on the ridge. By 1464 the Wars of the Roses had taken their toll on the building and it was more or less in ruins. Some 60 years later it rose again, but as a nobler structure with a central courtyard, parts of which can still be recognised today. But in 1649 that too was destroyed, by Parliamentarians after Royalists had seized it during the Civil War. Its third incarnation, began in 1654 was designed as a large family home with no connotations of defence or war.
The castle you see today finally emerged in the early 1800s and was built for the 5th Duke and Duchess of Rutland between 1801 and 1832 by architect James Wyatt.
The castle was given the French name Belvoir – meaning beautiful view – now pronounced ‘beaver’ remains as one of the most magnificent and beautiful Regency houses in England.
Accommodation
Belvoir has many rooms with layers upon layers of history interwoven into the very fabric of the building. Here is a taste of some of the rooms at Belvoir…
The Guard Room
This room was designed to leave a lasting impression on any visitor to Belvoir, once alighted from your carriage in the covered Portico, then walking down the Pre-guard room flanked by 18th Century Brown Bess Flintlock Muskets you enter a room with a wow factor. The guard room was designed in true gothic revival architecture – accomplished by architect James Wyatt, commissioned by the 5th Duke and his wife Duchess Elizabeth
The Kings Rooms
Consisting of a suite of 3 rooms they were designed for the exclusive use of The Prince Regent – later King George IV who was a close friend of the 5th Duke of Rutland, later in 1843 the rooms were occupied by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert on a visit to Belvoir.
Elizabeth Saloon
One of the most evocative rooms in the castle. This was the first room in England at it’s time to be decorated in the style of Louis XIV. The panellings came direct from Madame de Maintenon’s palace in Paris and were used by the 5th Duke to furnish the room in a decadent and opulent fashion following the sudden death of his beautiful wife Elizabeth. It is often remarked that the room is a representation of his grief at his loss where he put his heart and soul into making the room somewhere she would have loved.
Sporting
Shooting
Belvoir offers the finest pheasant, partridge and duck reared on the estate.
Over 60 established drives suitable for all levels of experience. No two drives are the same, with different locations, land topography – the natural instinct of the birds makes each and every drive a new challenge.
Fishing
The lakes at Belvoir are comprised of two waters; a 12 acre lake known as the Lower Lake and the Small Lake which is ¼ of an acre. The waters are typical estate lakes shallow and silty with a variety of features for the angler to fish to including islands, streambeds fallen trees, bloodworm beds and waterfalls.
Belvoir Lakes is managed as a mixed fishery containing carp to 30lbs, bream to 14lbs, perch to 4lbs, pike to 25lbs, roach to 2lbs and tench to 8lbs. At present the lower lake contains up to 500 carp to 30lbs with the average weight being mid to upper doubles. The fish are young stock and are growing well this year we have had a good number of twenties and mid twenties out. The lake has a number of strains of carp including our scaly fish and the lake will produce some awesome fish in the future.
Where to find Belvoir Castle
Check Availability & Book Now
* indicates required fields
