Bolingbroke Castle

The remains of a 13th century hexagonal castle, birthplace in 1367 of the future King Henry IV, with adjacent earthworks.

Bolingbroke Castle was one of three castles built by Ranulf de Blundeville, Earl of Chester and Lincoln, in the 1220s after his return from the Crusades (the others being Beeston Castle, Cheshire, and Chartley, Staffordshire).

After Blundeville’s death, the castle remained in the ownership of the Earls of Lincoln and was later inherited through marriage by John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster.

An extremely powerful member of the royal court, John of Gaunt became the guardian of Richard II when the young king succeeded to the throne at the age of 10.  

John of Gaunt and his first wife, Blanche, lived at the castle during the 1360s; their son, Henry of Bolingbroke, was born there in 1367.

Henry had a tempestuous relationship with Richard II and was exiled in 1397. He returned to England after the death of his father in 1399, enraged that the king had seized the estates he had inherited. Richard was in Ireland, attempting to quell a rising, when he heard of Henry’s return.  

These events marked the end of Richard II’s reign. Henry of Bolingbroke was encouraged to claim the throne of England from his unpopular rival, and Richard was imprisoned. Soon afterwards, Henry was crowned king as Henry IV.

There is no documentary evidence to suggest that Henry IV ever returned to his birthplace. 

During the Civil War (1642–8), the castle became a defensible base for a Royalist garrison and was besieged by Parliamentarian forces in 1643. 

The Royalists surrendered that winter, and the entire castle was destroyed.

Bolingbroke has remained a ruin for more than 350 years.