Belsey Castle in the UK
Rating: 8,1/10 (3902 votes)  This medieval fortification is located in Northumberland, in the northern part of England. The castle was built quite late, in 1460, and for many centuries it was in the possession of the Middleton family. The Middletons lived in the castle until 1817, constantly improving and rebuilding the fortifications. In 1817, they moved to a more modern house erected nearby. Thanks to constant maintenance, the castle is well preserved: the massive four-tiered structure is still crowned with four towers, and inside there is a hall, six rooms and a kitchen.
The nearby estate, called Belsi Hall, is also noteworthy. Here you can understand how many wealthy citizens lived in England from the 15th to the 19th century. The manor was built a little later than the castle, in 1614, however, it turned into quite picturesque, although well-preserved ruins.
In the 18th century, Sir William Middleton expanded the boundaries of the estate. After the honeymoon of his son Charles in 1804, a new Greek-style mansion was built. This new mansion was surrounded by flower beds and terraces. There was also a rocky garden nearby. All these sights of the second mansion have survived to this day. In the microclimate of the Stone Garden, ferns, liverworts, Chinese fan palms, grape-leaved maple and other plants, unique and unusual for England, can easily grow.
In the eighteenth century, the boundaries of the estate were expanded by Sir William Middleton. In 1804, his son Sir Charles Monk embarked on an eighteen-month honeymoon tour of Europe. Upon their return, Sir Charles and Lady Monk built a new Greek Renaissance mansion, surrounding it with formal terraces and flower beds of stone taken from a local quarry, and a magnificent Rocky Garden. And to the west of the Rocky Garden is the"wild garden".We also recommend reading Alnwick Castle in Great Britain Topic: Belsey Castle in the UK. |
