Old Bolingbroke
 Castles |
Probably the finest Wold village, and certainly the most historic, Old Bolingbroke is tucked in a south-facing pocket on the southern extremities of the rolling hills.
Here, in 1367, in Bolingbroke Castle, the future Henry IV was born - unfortunately, all that remains of this ancient castle are grassy mounds and some fragments of wall. Originally the site of a Norman castle, constructed on the orders of William the Conqueror, Ranulph de Blunderville rebuilt the stronghold during the reign of Henry III. By 1363, the castle had passed into the hands of John of Gaunt, Earl of Lancaster, who greatly extended and further fortified it as a royal residence.
During the upheavals of the English Civil War, Bolingbroke Castle started life as a firm Royalist stronghold, despite its situation in the midst of Parliamentarian territory. On October 12 1643, there occurred a major military clash between the two opposing armies, three and a half miles from Old Bolingbroke near Winceby. Here, on the southern downlands of the Wolds, at Slash Hollow, the Royalists endured a massive and bloody defeat at the hands of the Roundhead army. Amongst the latter troops, was a rising cavalry commander named Oliver Cromwell, whose star was now in the ascendancy. After its capture by the Parliamentarians, Bolingbroke Castle fell into decay. Henry Bolingbroke, however, is still commemorated in the village with a bed of red roses.
The nearby village of Halton Holegate is well worth the short journey, both because of the attractiveness of the place and for the historic buildings found there. The visitor will discover a handsome church wherein there is displayed 15th century woodwork, including bench-ends carved with angels, owls and monkeys. The charming Bell Inn, with its low beams, is thought to date from 1520; the imposing village Old Hall, strikingly built in red brick, is largely 18th century; finally, the 19th century Rectory of St Andrew's became a regular haunt of the poet Tennyson.