Bolsover Castle

In 1999 the Programme of Conservation was undertaken by English Heritage on Bolsover Castle. 

In 2002/2003 Tom Greening was heavily involved in the restoration, aimed to conserve what remained of the original seventeenth-century decorative paintwork, and recreate the original scheme devised by William Cavendish.  Detailed research involved the careful review of inventories, building accounts and photographs.

Where it was thought to be approproate to recreate the lost paint finishes, authentic materials and techniques were used.  All paints applied were prepared and mixed on site by modern decorators in much the same way as they would have been in the seventeenth century, and some of the processes used have probably not been used by housepainters since then.

Cross section analysis of paint samples revealed that the original finishes in the Star Chamber, part of the Little Castle survived overpainting which took place in the 1970’s when it was mistakinly assumed that the oak paneling would have been unpainted in the seventeenth century and that the surviving paint finishes were probably applied in the nineteenth century. 

Therefore in the 1970’s large areas of wall paneling within the little castle were completely stripped and some of the original seventeenth century decorative paintwork was overpainted using what todays conservators consider to be inappropriate colour schemes.

Bolsover Castle was built by the Peverel family in the 12th century and became Crown property in 1155 when the third William Peverel fled into exile.

During the Civil War Bolsover Castle was taken by the Parliamentarians who slighted it and it again fell into a ruinous state. However William Cavendish added a new hall and staterooms to the Terrace Range and, by the time of his death in 1676, the castle had been restored to good order.

It passed through the female line into the Bentinck family, and ultimately became one of the seats of the Dukes of Portland. After 1883 the castle was uninhabited and eventually given to the nation by the 7th Duke of Portland in 1945. The castle is now in the care of English Heritage.

Over the past ten years English Heritage has conducted a detailed examination of the interiors of the Little Castle.  The castle was already known to contain extremely rare seventeenth century interiors, but recent research has proved that they were probably some of the most refined and exquisetly decorated of the period.  The decorative schemes chosen by William Cavendish clearly reflected the fashions current at the court of James I in about 1620.