BattlefieldsSiege of Bolsover Castle
English Civil War

Siege of Bolsover Castle

1644–1645
Derbyshire, England
Also known as: Bolsover Castle Derbyshire Civil War
Era
English Civil War
Battle Type
Siege
Location
Derbyshire, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Royalists (Earl of Newcastle's estate)
Forces
Royalist garrison c.150–250
VS
Victor
Parliamentarians
Forces
Parliamentarians c.3,000–4,000
Outcome
Bolsover Castle surrendered and slighted; Newcastle's palatial creation destroyed
The Battle

History & Significance

Bolsover Castle — the extraordinary baroque fantasy built by William Cavendish, Earl of Newcastle — was one of the most cultured Royalist households in England before the war. Newcastle fled abroad after Marston Moor. Parliamentary forces besieged Bolsover in 1644-45. After its fall, it was deliberately slighted — though much survived. The Little Castle — Newcastle's intimate retreat — still stands virtually intact, preserving one of the finest examples of English baroque interior decoration.

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