Bolton Castle

Richard le Scrope, Chancellor of England under Richard II, began Bolton Castle in 1379 and completed it over the following twenty years — a commission that produced one of the finest examples of the 14th-century quadrangular castle design in England. The Scrope family held the castle through the generations that followed, navigating the dynastic turbulences of the Wars of the Roses and the Tudor succession without losing their Wensleydale seat.

The castle's most famous association is with Mary Queen of Scots, who was placed in comfortable captivity here following her flight to England in 1568. Mary arrived at Bolton in July of that year and remained for approximately six months before being moved south to Tutbury Castle as her situation became more fraught. The rooms she occupied are identified in the castle today, and the episode remains the most commonly cited episode in Bolton's history — a fugitive queen, a diplomatic embarrassment, and a political problem that Elizabeth I would spend nineteen years failing to resolve.

The English Civil War brought a Parliamentary siege that resulted in the partial slighting of the north-east tower — the one section of the castle left in ruins — while the remaining three towers and much of the interior survived. The castle passed intact through subsequent generations and remains in private ownership today as the home of the Orde-Powlett family, descendants of the original Scrope line. It has been managed as a heritage visitor attraction alongside the family's ongoing residence.

Getting there: Bolton Castle is in Castle Bolton village, 6 km west of Leyburn in Wensleydale. A seasonal bus connects Leyburn to the castle; Leyburn itself is served by bus from Northallerton and Darlington. By car, the castle is around 80 km from York via the A684 and 70 km from Leeds — allow around 1h30 from either city.

Tickets: Walk-up admission is £10 for adults and £5 for children, covering the castle interior, exhibitions on Mary Queen of Scots, and the grounds including the medieval herb garden and vineyard. The GYG Yorkshire Dales Tour from York (t51228, from £95, 4.8★/540 reviews) includes Bolton Castle as part of a full-day Dales circuit with guided commentary.

Practical tips: The castle pairs naturally with a Wensleydale drive — Aysgarth Falls is 4 km to the west and Hawes market town 15 km further. Allow at least 2 hours. Check the website for scheduled falconry displays in the grounds, which add considerably to the visit.

Combine with: [Castle Howard](/castles/england/castle-howard), around 60 km to the east near York, and [Clifford's Tower](/castles/england/cliffords-tower) in York city centre, for a full North Yorkshire heritage circuit.