Bolingbroke Castle
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Bolingbroke Castle is at Bolingbroke (or Old Bolingbroke) in Lincolnshire (grid reference TF349649).
It was founded by Ranulf, Earl of Chester, in 1220, and in 1311 passed to the House of Lancaster. Its most famous owner was John of Gaunt. It was partially destroyed in 1643 during the English Civil War and abandoned shortly afterwards. The last major structure collapsed in 1815 and the castle now lies as a ruin. Most of the castle is built of Spilsby greenstone, as is the nearby church. It was originally surrounded by a moat.
The castle was excavated in the 1960s and 1970s and is now a national monument. It was maintained by English Heritage up until 1995 when Heritage Lincolnshire took ownership. Much of the lower walls and still visible as are the ground floors of the towers. In the summertime, the castle is home to numerous events including performances of Shakespeare.
Important events which took place at Bolingbroke Castle:
- Birth of King Henry IV of England, (April 3, 1367)
- Death of Blanche of Lancaster, wife of John of Gaunt (1369)
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