Belvoir Castle: A Gothic Revival Masterpiece

In this installment of ‘Larger Than Life: Architecture Through the Ages,’ we visit a faux historic castle in Leicestershire, England.

The neo-Gothic castle’s turrets and towers rise over a 16,000-acre estate in Leicestershire, England, like a fairy-tale illustration. Crowning a hill in the Vale of Belvoir, which means “beautiful view” in Norman French, the castle is acknowledged as one of England’s finest examples of Regency architecture. FlowFocusPhoto/Shutterstock

Belvoir Castle’s faux fortress dates back to 1801, though its original construction took place more than 700 years earlier. Under the influence of his new wife, Elizabeth Howard, John Manners, fifth Duke of Rutland, rebuilt the existing structure in the romantic Gothic Revival style seen today.

Since 1067, three castles—a Norman castle, a Tudor manor, and a country house—stood on the spot where Belvoir Castle stands today. To stylistically return the castle to its origins, the duchess commissioned architect James Wyatt, the first prestigious English architect to fully embrace the developing Gothic Revival style.

Belvoir became Wyatt’s greatest Gothic triumph. Aside from the castle’s monumental 150,000-square-foot size, which the duke sold seven villages he owned to fund, Wyatt introduced significant architectural characteristics that were rare in the Gothic Revival style. He incorporated elements such as a massive central tower, which made Belvoir’s trompe l’oeil (trick of the eye) medieval appearance hark back to an authentic fortress built to defend against invaders.

The castle’s militant exterior stands in stark contrast to its interior. Architecturally, Belvoir’s interior retains medieval and rustic elements in the vaulted entrance hall but segues into opulent staterooms further within. The interior is permeated with 19th-century luxury, including gold-trimmed Georgian furniture, exquisite marble fireplaces, brocade curtains, four-poster beds, and hand-painted chinoiserie wallpaper.

Similarly, the grounds give a 19th-century appearance: Formal gardens decorated with statues and fountains, and a small woodland surround most of the castle. In 2013, formal plans for the woodland garden designs by Lancelot “Capability” Brown, England’s prestigious 18th-century landscape architect, were discovered at Belvoir.

Delayed for more than two centuries, the current duchess finally took control of the project. There are now more than 180,000 trees in various stages of growth.

The Grand Staircase was rebuilt by the Gothic enthusiast Sir John Thoroton after an 1816 fire. Ascending from the castle’s entrance hall, the staircase leads to a light-filled, rib-vaulted cloister, reminiscent of a Romanesque or Gothic nave. At the top of the staircase, the first two portraits on display are John Manners, first Duke of Rutland, by John Closterman, and his second wife, Diana Bruce, Countess of Rutland, by Peter Lely. FlowFocusPhoto/Shutterstock

The Roman state dining room features a coffered ceiling with a decorative garland frieze. What appears as semicircular arched doorways are marble columned and mirrored frames that give the stately room a greater sense of depth. A portrait of Charles Manners, the fourth Duke of Rutland, by Joshua Reynolds hangs over the fireplace. FlowFocusPhoto/Shutterstock

The Elizabeth Saloon, located in the eastern tower, was designed and decorated by Elizabeth Howard. The painted ceiling depicts the duke and duchess surrounded by their children, and alludes to the amours of Jupiter and Juno. The saloon features luxurious Louis XV white-and-gold paneling and rose-red damask silk upholstered furniture. FlowFocusPhoto/Shutterstock

The castle’s Wellington Room displays one of England's most exquisite examples of antique Chinese wallpaper. The mid-18th-century chinoiserie panels were imported from China by the British East India Company. Set against a pistachio-green background, the wallpaper’s opulent design features a garden scene with exotic birds and flora and fauna native to the southern Chinese mainland—peonies, irises, lily pads, and kumquat. FlowFocusPhoto/Shutterstock

A trail leads through woodland to the Duchess Garden. Originally cultivated by Elizabeth Howard in 1815, the Regency garden—dotted with classical statues and water features—was known as the Spring Garden during the Victorian era because of the underground springs that kept the garden blooming year-round. FlowFocusPhoto/Shutterstock

The Regent’s Gallery stretches 131 feet and is used primarily to display the dukes’ vast collection of artistic masterpieces, including a series of Gobelin tapestries once owned by Louis XIV of France. The tapestries tell the story of Don Quixote and were purchased in 1814 by the fifth duke. FlowFocusPhoto/Shutterstock

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