Kimbolton Castle is a country house in Kimbolton, Cambridgeshire, England. It was the final home of King Henry VIII's first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Originally a medieval castle but converted into a stately palace, it was the family seat of the Earls and Dukes of Manchester from 1615 until 1950. It now houses

Kimbolton School Kimbolton School is a British HMC co-educational independent day and boarding school in the rural village of Kimbolton, Cambridgeshire, England. There are 1000 students, aged 4 to 18. Boarding and flexi-boarding is available to a limited ...

History

Gatehouse to Kimbolton School - geograph

The castle was built by

Geoffrey Fitz Peter, 1st Earl of Essex Geoffrey Fitz Peter, Earl of Essex (c. 1162–1213) was a prominent member of the government of England during the reigns of Richard I and John. The patronymic is sometimes rendered Fitz Piers, for he was the son of Piers de Lutegareshale (born ...

in the late 12th century. The inner court was rebuilt by Anne Neville, Duchess of Buckingham in the late 15th century. The castle was acquired by Sir Richard Wingfield in 1522. Catherine of Aragon was sent here in April 1534 for refusing to give up her status or deny the validity of her marriage. The

fen A fen is a type of peat-accumulating wetland fed by mineral-rich Groundwater, ground or surface water. It is one of the main types of wetlands along with marshes, swamps, and bogs. Bogs and fens, both peat-forming ecosystems, are also known as ...

land climate damaged her health, and she died in the castle in January 1536. The castle was bought by Sir Henry Montagu, later created 1st Earl of Manchester, in 1615. The 4th Earl of Manchester, who was created 1st Duke of Manchester in 1719, had many works of reconstruction carried out between 1690 and 1720. These works included the rebuilding of the south wing, which had fallen down, to a design by Sir John Vanbrugh. The 4th Duke of Manchester commissioned

Robert Adam Robert Adam (3 July 17283 March 1792) was a British neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He was the son of William Adam (1689–1748), Scotland's foremost architect of the time, and trained under him. With his ...

to design the gatehouse which was constructed in 1766. Many members of the Montagu family ( Earls and Dukes of Manchester) are buried at St Andrew's Church in Kimbolton. Several Montagu monuments still exist in the South Chapel, while the Montagu vault (extended in 1853) is located beneath the North Chapel. The 10th Duke of Manchester sold the contents in 1949, and the castle and 50 acres were sold to

in 1951.

Warren House

On the grounds of the castle is Warren House, where the warrener (estate rabbit gamekeeper) used to live, converted into a late 18th-century

folly In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but suggesting through its appearance some other purpose, or of such extravagant appearance that it transcends the range of usual garden buildings. Eighteenth-cent ...

on command of one of the castle's inhabitants to add interest to his horizon, complete with a single decorative facade facing the castle; it is grade II* listed and owned by the

Landmark Trust The Landmark Trust is a British architectural conservation, building conservation charitable organization, charity, founded in 1965 by John Smith (Conservative politician), Sir John and Lady Smith, that rescues buildings of historic interest or ...

. The Trust renovated the house, under a design from architect Oliver Caroe, between 2011 and 2012.Landmark Trust: Warren House

References

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External links

Castle history on Kimbolton School's websiteVisitor information from Kimbolton School's websiteWarren House Landmark Trust information page
Country houses in Cambridgeshire John Vanbrugh buildings Tourist attractions in Cambridgeshire Historic house museums in Cambridgeshire Buildings and structures in Huntingdonshire Castles in Cambridgeshire Gardens by Capability Brown Catherine of Aragon Castle

History

Warren House

See also

References

External links