In Wensleydale, in North Yorkshire, Bolton Castle raises its powerful quadrangular silhouette above the valley. A fortress of the Scropes, it is famous above all as the first English prison of Mary, Queen of Scots — the opening stage of the nineteen years of captivity that would lead her to the scaffold.
A fortress of the Pilgrimage of Grace
A quadrangular castle with four corner towers, Bolton was the seat of the Scropes. It had already known the fury of the Tudors: in 1536, John, 8th Baron Scrope, had harboured a leader of the Pilgrimage of Grace (the great Catholic revolt of the North against Henry VIII's Reformation), which earned the castle a burning by the royal troops. This robust fortress, one of the most imposing in Yorkshire, was soon to play a far more famous role.
The captivity of Mary Stuart
After her flight from Scotland (defeat of Langside, 1568), Mary Stuart took refuge in England, counting on the help of her cousin Elizabeth I — who at once had her detained. From July 1568 to January 1569, Bolton Castle was her first English prison. She arrived with a retinue of thirty men and six ladies, including her faithful Mary Seton. Her keeper, Sir Francis Knollys, described Bolton as 'the highest walled house I have seen' — and, touchingly, he used this captivity to teach the queen English, who spoke little but French and Scots. Bolton thus marks the beginning of the long ordeal that would end, nineteen years later, on the block at Fotheringhay. To see: the south-west tower where Mary Stuart lodged, the great hall, the medieval chambers and kitchens, the reconstructed Tudor gardens and the maze.
Did you know?
It was in prison, at Bolton Castle, that Mary Stuart learned English. Raised at the French court, the Queen of Scots spoke French, Latin and Scots, but poorly mastered the language of the kingdom where she would end her days. Her gaoler, Sir Francis Knollys, gave her lessons — and one of Mary's first letters in English, awkward and touching, dates from this captivity. The sovereign was learning the language of those who would one day sign her death warrant.
Notes
Bolton Castle lies at Castle Bolton, Wensleydale, North Yorkshire; a castle (Scrope/Orde-Powlett family) open to the public. Seasonal hours to check.
Quiz
- Who was held at Bolton Castle in 1568-1569?
- Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots
- Anne Boleyn
- Lady Jane Grey
- What did she learn during this captivity?
- English (from Sir Francis Knollys)
- Latin
- Painting
- What did the castle undergo in 1536?
- It was burned (after the Pilgrimage of Grace)
- It was enlarged
- It was sold