Belvoir Castle

Castle near Bottesford, Leicestershire, England. It originally dates from the 11th century, but has been rebuilt several times. The castle has an important art collection which includes works by Holbein, Poussin, Reynolds and Gainsborough.

History The original fortress of 11th to 13th centuries was rebuilt in 1528 when the present owners, the Manners family, acquired the property. In 1654–58 it was rebuilt again as a mansion. Around 1800 the 5th duke employed James Wyatt to reconvert it to a castle, altering the apartments at the same time.

A fire in 1816 necessitated further rebuilding by Wyatt's sons (Benjamin Dean Wyatt 1775–1855; and Matthew Cotes Wyatt 1777–1862), supervised by the duchess and a relative, the Rev John Thoroton. The rebuilding included interior decoration of the principle rooms of the castle and the construction of a Romanesque-style mausoleum in the castle grounds (1820–30). The present castle is thus a handsome neo-Gothic structure with interiors of various styles.

Belvoir Castle is the seat of the Duke of Rutland.