Bolton Castle
Local highlightA tall, square medieval castle in Wensleydale where Mary, Queen of Scots was held for the better part of a year
Open to visitorscheck opening times and admission before you go
Standing remainssubstantial fabric survives to stand in front of
Bolton Castle rises straight out of the little village of Castle Bolton, high in Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales. Richard le Scrope, a powerful royal official, built it in the late 1300s as a fortified home, a square block with a tall tower at each corner around a central courtyard. Its most famous guest was Mary, Queen of Scots, held here for around six months in 1568–69 after she fled Scotland. During the Civil War a Royalist garrison held out until hunger forced a surrender, and Parliament later slighted the castle — deliberately damaged it so it could not be defended again — which is why one corner tower is now a broken stump. The Scrope family’s descendants still own it, and it looks out over the dale, with Aysgarth Falls a few miles down the valley.
More at the National Heritage List entry
