Extensive landscape park and various gardens, mostly early C19 but incorporating late C17 elements, largely laid out to a plan of 1780 by Capablility Brown, and associated with a spectacular, early-C19 hilltop castle. Reservoir to south of parkland, constructed between 1794 and 1797 as a floodwater reservoir for the Grantham Canal.
LOCATION, SETTING, LANDFORM, BOUNDARIES AND AREA
Belvoir Castle stands 8km west of Grantham, close to the meeting points of Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire, on an isolated hill on the south-east edge of the Vale of Belvoir over which it enjoys panoramic views. The current registered area measures around 900ha.
ENTRANCES AND APPROACHES
There are numerous approaches to the Castle. Most of them meet south-west of the Castle before a common drive approaches past the Rose Garden and the Battery, to enter the west side of the courtyard. The main private drive enters the grounds 300m north of the Castle, via a gate shared with the drive to the estate yard. It then curves around the north-west side of the Castle hill. Other approaches, through the park, are longer. From the east there is a 3.5km long drive from the Lodge, an ornate two-storey stone building of 1885, 1km east of Woolsthorpe. This curves along a plateau above Woolsthorpe, where the drive (here Foster's Avenue) is tree lined, with panoramic views towards the Castle and across the Vale of Belvoir beyond. The drive then drops, crossing the bridge between the two lakes, before running through Middlesdale towards the main approach to the Castle. A second drive, from the south-east, enters the park past an ornate mid-C19 lodge 600m north-east of Knipton village. This runs on a straight line roughly northwards, west of the Upper Lake and Belvoir Hunt Kennels, to join the Woolsthorpe drive 500m north-east of the bridge. A third approach is from the north-west, by a long straight avenue from Redmile.
PRINCIPAL BUILDING
A hilltop castle was established here, overlooking the Vale of Belvoir, in the late C11. Major rebuilding took place in the earlier C16, by John Webb (d 1672) between 1654 and 1668 after Civil War slighting, and in the early C19. After the 5th Duke came of age in 1801, James Wyatt (d 1813) was employed to rebuild Belvoir. In 1816, by when the south-west and south-east fronts were complete, a great fire destroyed the north-west and north-east fronts. Their reconstruction was directed by the Rev Sir John Thoroton (d 1820), rector of Bottesford and friend of, and domestic chaplain to, the 5th Duke. He was assisted by Elizabeth, Duchess of Rutland, who had been brought up at Castle Howard and was likewise an enthusiastic amateur architect. Before her death in 1825 the Duchess was also responsible for laying out new gardens and enhancing the Castle's setting, closely following Brown’s plan. The Castle (listed Grade I) is little changed since the early C19, a massive, quadrangular, hilltop feudal palace with a skyline of turrets and battlements. Its main feature is Thoroton's huge projecting tower on the centre of the north-east front, which echoes Wyatt's tower on the south-west side.
At the bottom of the slope, 200m north-east of the Castle, is a U-plan, two-storey ironstone stables block (listed Grade II*) of 1704-5 by John Barker (d 1727), now used as offices and for accommodation. Within its courtyard is an exercise ring (listed Grade II*) of around 1819, probably the earliest free-standing structure of its kind in England, and occupying an important position in the history of hunting. About 20m north-east of Barker's stables are others (listed Grade II) of the early C18, while 15m south of the former is a six-bay house (listed Grade II) of the early C18. Of similar date is Brewery Row (listed Grade II), a row of four houses 25m south-east of Barker's stables.
ORNAMENTAL GROUNDS AND PLEASURE GROUNDS
North-east of the Castle, descending the hillside to the stables complex, is a flight of three broad terraces. On the middle one is a swimming pool and hard tennis court. On the north-west side of the terraces is an icehouse (listed Grade II) of around 1830.
A broad walled terrace runs around the north and west sides of the Castle. From this there is access to the Battery, a 20m long bastion-like crenellated projection which projects south-west of the Castle to command the main approach from the south-west. Believed to represent the motte of the Norman castle, the Battery was remodelled as a promenade ground and is shown thus on Badeslade's views of 1731. The present Battery, which is considerably smaller, represents an early C19 remodelling.
The Battery overlooks a lawn leading to the Rose Garden with flagged paths and geometric beds, which occupies the sloping ground south-west of the Castle. It was laid out in around 1906 by Violet, wife of the 8th Duke, to the designs of Harold Peto. Yew hedges run around the north-west and north-east sides of the garden, along the top (north-east) of which, alongside a stone terrace wall, runs a curving terrace path with mature specimen trees. This path appears to be the broad walk along which Cibber's statues were placed, as shown in Badeslade's views of 1731. A statue of Winter (listed Grade II*) of around 1680 by Caius Gabriel Cibber (d 1700) stands at the head of an axial path which leads from the terrace path on a south-westerly line.
At the bottom of the axial path down the Rose Garden, 110m south-west of the Castle, is a stone bastion, which in the early C20 supported a rustic summerhouse. Beneath the bastion is a gothic-arched seat, which overlooks the Statue Garden. This, approached via an elaborately stone-balustraded path with urns and rockwork (all probably early C19) at its north-west corner, comprises six further life-size statues: Juno, Ceres, Flora, Bacchus, Pomona and Diana (all listed Grade II*) of around 1680 by Cibber, arranged in two curving rows down a steeply-sloping grass slope. Across the bottom of the slope is a terrace, at one end of which is a stone bench seat. The Statue Garden was among the early-C19 gardening works at Belvoir later altered in both the Edwardian era and more recently. In 1905 there was massed bedding in the Statue Garden.
From south-west of the Statue Garden a terrace path passes through ornamental woodland to the Duchess', or Spring, Garden, created around 1810 by the 5th Duchess of Rutland. This comprises walks around a natural south-facing amphitheatre-like embayment approximately 180m in diameter, well planted with mature specimen trees, shrubs and other plants. On the main grass terrace path around the north side of the garden is the Duchess' Seat, a splendid hexagonal root house (listed Grade II) of around 1810, with thatched roof, moss-filled walls, and rustic furniture. Half a mile beyond this is the grotto which was found c2015 and restored.
North-west of the Duchess' garden, and approximately 450m south-west of the Castle, is the family Mausoleum (listed Grade II), a limestone building of 1826-8 in the Romanesque style by Benjamin Dean Wyatt (d 1855) and Philip Wyatt (d 1835).
Like the Castle, the gardens were remodelled after the Civil War, and the results are shown in illustrations by Badeslade of 1731. Descending from Castle to stables is a flight of terraces, which survive in simplified form today. East of these, in the vicinity of the later walled kitchen garden, was an extensive geometric Wilderness or labyrinth, most likely created for the 3rd Duke after 1721. South of this, running around the eastern and southern slopes of the Castle mound, were concentric plantations, perhaps terraced. Cibber's statues can be seen spaced regularly along a broad walk around the bottom of the Battery. This scheme had been much simplified by 1744, and by the early C19 had been virtually obliterated.
A retaining wall, proposed by Brown, is situated below the north-east terrace and has a retaining wall of coursed rubble stone.
PARK
The medieval Belvoir park, created in 1306 and probably disparked in the 1460s, lay in Redmile, north-west of the later park. It is not known when the present park was created, although it is probable that it was during the period of post-Civil War reconstruction. There was certainly a deer park here by 1731. In 1779 Lancelot Brown (1716-83) was consulted on landscaping Belvoir and improving the Castle. Many of the improvements suggested in his detailed plans were executed over the following four decades, including the shelter belts and areas of woodland. As seen today the park is very much a product of the early-C19 landscaping and gardening at Belvoir.
Belvoir's park extends for approximately 2km east, west and south of the Castle. Around the hill on which the Castle stands, through the low ground of Middlesdale to its south, and around the sides of Blackberry Hill, again to the south, is woodland, largely of an ornamental character. The plateau on top of Blackberry Hill is open ground, and earlier in the C20 was used as a private golf course. An embankment, created 1801-1804 in accordance with Brown’s plan, links Blackberry Hill to Castle Hill. Frog Hollow pool lies in the valley between Blackberry Hill and the rising ground of Granby Wood to its south. In 1905 there was a bog garden here. South-west of this, along the edge of the park, extensive elder woods were planted in the 1990s, the flowers of which were gathered for a locally manufactured beverage. North-west of Castle and Blackberry Hills the park slopes down into the Vale of Belvoir. This land, West Wong, is arable land with some clumps of trees.
North-west of the estate yard, 300m north-east of the Castle, are two fishponds. One is 200m long, the other (named Westminster) 100m. Some 200m to the west, on the edge of the registered area, is the site of a medieval Benedictine priory. Until the Civil War, it is believed that there was a village here, sited between the priory and the estate yard 300m to the south-east.
Set against the bottom of the wooded slope of the Castle and 250m to its south is Dairy Cottage (listed Grade II), built to an 1813 design by James Wyatt, as an ornamental dairy. This has an octagonal, two-storey, central block with pavilions to either side. It looks down a grass paddock, on the east side of which, approximately 75m from the dairy, is a wooden, six-bay, thatched cowhouse (now used for timber seasoning), probably contemporary with the dairy. The pasture looks towards Lower Lake, the more northerly of two sheets of water on the River Devon created in 1821 and inspired by the lake shown on Brown’s plan. Each lake is 500m long and separated by a five-arched stone bridge built in 1825 (listed Grade II).
On the west bank of Upper Lake, 100m south-west of the bridge, are the Kennels (listed Grade II) of the Belvoir Hunt, founded in 1740 and always among the country's most prestigious. Four-sided with turrets to the corners, the complex was designed in 1802 to accommodate four packs of hounds. South-west of the kennels is Knipton Pasture, a 1km long tract of level ground, now arable. To the east of Upper Lake is the Devon, steeply-rising permanent pasture which is well studded with mature specimen trees. To the south-east of Lower Lake, near the trout pond, is a cricket pavilion. To the east of Lower Lake, the ground is crossed by the beech-lined drive from Woolsthorpe and climbs slightly less steeply, and there are large numbers of mature trees. As the drive reaches the top of the slope, 200m south-east of Woolsthorpe church, it passes an irregular area of wooded ground, Holywell Wood, within which are springs and a Holy Well. To the east of Holywell Wood the park is permanent pasture. The area to the north of the park, between the walled garden to the west and Woolsthorpe to the east, is a mixture of permanent pasture and arable land. It is bounded to the north by the tree-lined Woolsthorpe Road.
KITCHEN GARDEN
At the bottom of the wooded slopes of the hill below the Castle is an ornate, brick-walled kitchen garden (listed Grade II) established in 1816, aligned on a north-south axis, and measuring 220m long by 120m wide. The northernmost quarter is divided off by a wall, broken in the centre to allow an axial view down the garden from the mid-C19 gothic Garden House (listed Grade II) situated 50m north of the walled garden. This looks through to a highly ornate iron-gated entrance, with ornate limestone detailing to the arched surround in the centre of the south side. Similar gates lie on the east and west sides of the northern compartment. Other entrances are pedimented, and these alternate with octagonal columns topped with decoratively carved limestone ogee capitals. Some gardening still went on in the northern compartment in 1998; the main garden area was grazed, and lines of young trees ran down the centre. Along the north wall is a full range of brick sheds with lancet doors and windows. Various glasshouses and other structures, some of C19 date, stand outside the north-east corner of the garden.
KNIPTON RESERVOIR
Knipton Reservoir is located approximately 3km south of Belvoir Castle, between the villages of Knipton and Branston. The reservoir measures approximately 220m x 1200m, running 650m on a north-south axis, before curving west for 550m. The surface area of the waterworks measures approximately 200,000 sq m (49.4 acres), and has a capacity of 543,000 sq m and depth of 7.1m. The reservoir is fed from a stream off the River Devon at the south-west corner, and the water falls to the north-east corner to two spillways. The original spillway (constructed around 1795) comprises a 15m-long convex masonry weir, which discharges onto a gently falling, tapered apron to pass beneath the dam crest via a three-arch, masonry bridge. Downstream of the bridge there is a 3.5m-wide stepped concrete channel which continues to a stilling basin. Approximately 15m south of the original spillway, an 18m-long convex overflow weir, reinforced concrete bridge and spillway were constructed in 1972, and discharge downstream to merge with the original spillway via a drop structure. To the south of the 1972 bridge, an earthen embankment extends approximately 210m along the north-east bank of the reservoir, forming part of Croxton Avenue. It is understood that the embankment was constructed of clay in 1799, and reaches a maximum height of approximately 12m. Around 70m south of the 1972 bridge, an outlet pipe passes under the embankment, and discharges via a concrete flume and brick tunnel (constructed in 1944) to enter the carrier channel, which was the original feed from the reservoir to the Grantham Canal, through the Duke’s estate via open and brick-vaulted culverts. Downstream of the reservoir the River Devon passes along the west side of Knipton and then enters Belvoir Upper Lake and Lower Lake after about 2km.
On the east bank of the reservoir, a timber-framed boathouse, built in 1802, stands on a stone plinth, with a thatched roof (not listed). Overlooking the reservoir at the crest of the east bank, stands Reservoir Cottage, built in 1806 as a fishing lodge, and extended in 1823 and the mid-C20 (not listed). North-east of the cottage, the thatched roof of an ornamental oast house remains visible from the reservoir (not listed). It is probable that Reservoir Cottage, the thatched oast house and boat house were designed to form part of the views along the east bank of the reservoir. From the steeply-sloped east bank, plantations control Picturesque views south-west over the reservoir, towards the steeples of the Church of St Guthlac at Branston and St Denys at Eaton (approximately 1.5km and 2.5km distant respectively), and conceal views of the dam to the north-west.
Croxton Avenue, based on Brown’s suggested private drive to the Castle, runs along the east bank of the reservoir, and from the early C19 formed an important route between the Duke’s estates at Croxton Park in the south and Belvoir Castle to the north (both approximately 3km from the reservoir). From the north-east corner of the reservoir to Belvoir Castle, this takes the form of a tree-lined avenue (now overgrown and with a variety of species). There are a number of plantations surrounding the reservoir, most likely planted in the early C19 to frame views and control game, including Boathouse Wood (east), Reservoir Wood (west) and Bunkers Wood (north-west). These woods have been replanted over time, but some mature trees do survive.