A tour of Beaver (Belvoir)

Belvoir Castle (pronounced Beaver)! Is the castle I find on the hill, behind my beautiful pink house! We are extremely lucky to be able to call this place home. I thought I would do something different this week and tell you a little about the estate.

Firstly a little history for you!

In 1066 William the Conqueror gifted the land to one of his Norman Barons after the battle of Hastings. The first castle was then built in 1067 this stood till 1464 in a ruined state. Fast forward another 60 years Belvoir was rebuilt with a similar structure to today but was seized in civil war and again was destroyed. Belvoir was then rebuilt as an ancestry home in 1654.

The fourth reincarnation of the Castle, the one we know and recognize today was finally completed by the 5^th Duke and Duchess of Rutland in 1832.  

The name comes from is Norman beginnings with Belvoir meaning beautiful view. The Saxons could not pronounce Belvoir so over time it has filtered into Beaver. (The views from the castle are spectacular, hence the name beautiful view).

Today the castle still the ancestral home of the Duke and Duchess of Rutland and their 4 children. It is open to the public from March through to October and hosts a magnitude of activities and events.

The Grounds are vast with beautiful rose gardens, lakes, Japanese woodlands and more. Designs were found in the archives from a Mr Capability Brown for his visions of Belvoir. The current 11th duchess has bought these designs to life and it really does look beautiful.

We are lucky enough to live on the grounds in what was the old dairy farm. It was built by the same architect (James Wyatt) who built the castle. It took some persuasion to my husband to take the house as its very Pink!

Over the last year we have had lots of treats through means of castle events! In early spring we were treated to laughing at thousands of runners taking part in the tough mudder obstacle course. A 10k course around the grounds in very muddy obstacles! Not my idea of fun!!

What was my type of fun was the summer house concerts that went on over 4 dates in July. The field in front of my house had Nile Rogers and Chic, Ill Divo and Pete Tong play on successive nights. Unfortunately, Tom Jones was poorly and cancelled. We saw Pete Tong with the heritage orchestra for his Ibiza Classics tour and oh my goodness, it was incredible!

Come August the Castle hosts the Belvoir Firework Championships. This is a huge event where 3 of the big firework companies battle it out to see who’s best! This is a fantastic family event, where you can camp over and watch some of the most sensational fireworks I have ever seen! 

We were lucky enough for this years event to fall on my daughters 13th Birthday, so she had a party to remember this year!

Coming to the end of the summer, the duchess’ other vision came to life. The old Engine Yard for the castle has spent the last few years having a complete renovation and is now a boutique shopping centre. It is a wonderful place to spend a Sunday afternoon with a garden centre, the most beautiful coffee shop, a chocolate shop, a farm shop, a spa and more! I would highly recommend this place for a visit. I am finding it lethal having it around the corner!!

Today I was driving out and came across security at the gate and Netflix are back filming a new Series! Earlier in the year they were here filming The Crown. It’s very exiting watching it all go on! 

You can see by the picture there is lots of activity going on today!

So if you are ever in the area, Belvoir Castle is definitely worth a visit. The castle interiors are breathtaking from the guards room entrance to the sublime Elizabeth lounge. The grounds and castle are open From March to October but the Engine Yard is open all year round.