Bolesworth Castle

Bolesworth Castle stands two miles south of Tattenhall in rural Cheshire. The Grade II* listed country house rises from ashlar sandstone in a castellated style, its two-storey wings framing a central three-storey tower. Wide canted bays project from the centre and right side, while a round bay marks the left. The older house it replaced had been built in 1750, but the present design came from William Cole in 1829 for George Walmesley. In 1856 Robert Barbour bought the estate and it has stayed with his descendants ever since. The castle matters because it shows how a private estate can support a community. Anthony Barbour inherited 6 000 acres in 1989 and turned redundant farm buildings into small business units while modernising sixteen farms. This created about 800 jobs across the estate. He replanted the gardens with more than 350 tree varieties and won the Bledisloe gold medal in 1998. After his death in 2007 his wife Diana and daughter Nina have continued the work. Visitors find a working estate alive with events. Each summer the Bolesworth International Horse Show draws crowds, and the Al Shira’aa Bolesworth Young Horse Championships highlights rising talent. In winter the Christmas at Bolesworth lights trail brings families to wander lit pathways. Scattered around the grounds are listed structures: terraced walls, a temple with a statue of Diana, park gates, a bridge over the fishpool and a boathouse.