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Home The Plants

Primrose

Primrose (Primula vulgaris)

 

Flowers: March to June. Height: 20cm (8in).

 

Common names include Golden rose, Lent rose, Easter rose, and Butter rose. The name comes from prima rosa, meaning first rose in medieval Latin as it was one of the first flowers to appear in the spring. The Romans held that primroses were given to the earth in memory of a son of the goddess Flora, while Celtic peoples believed the flower to be sacred, representing renewal and the return of abundance. The flower’s original association with Brigid, the goddess of rebirth, was modified in Christian times by linking it with St Bride with bunches of primroses being offered to her on 1st February, (also the date the pagan festival Imbolc). In medieval times, the flower was dedicated to St Agatha, and was ceremonially gathered by children on the 13th March. In later Christian legend it was dedicated to St Valentine. Chaucer’s poem ‘Parliament of Fowls’ contains the first reference to Valentine’s Day as being a romantic occasion and there was a medieval Valentine’s saying:

If you see a bluebird you will marry a happy person

If you see a goldfinch you will marry a rich person

If you see a sparrow you will marry a poor person

If you find a glove your future beloved will have the other one

 

Medicinal: An astringent and sedative, it was prescribed for a wide variety of ailments including to treat wounds, headaches, skin lesions, coughs, rheumatism, for reducing fever, spasms, cramps and paralysis and was also added to wine as a cure for palsy. John Gerard, in his book The Herball (1597), believed that “Primrose tea drunk in the month of May is famous for curing the phrenzies”. A hundred years later, Culpeper’s Complete Herbal (1653) stated “Of the leaves of Primrose is made as fine a salve to heal wounds as any I know.”

 

Culinary: Young leaves, either raw or cooked as a potherb, were added to soups and stews and its flowers made an attractive garnish to salads.

 

Magic & Myth: The Primrose was used as a love oracle as it represented inconstancy and a lover’s doubts. It is also associated with safety and posies of primroses were left on the doorstep to encourage fairies to bless the house and anyone living in it.

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What our visitors say about the castle

YorTours – Breathe in Yorkshire
Another brilliant experience on Friday with my pre booked 2 clients from Ohio
Birds of prey on arrival for 3pm falconry display; followed by castle and boars feeding - whilst I had time to feed in your cafe too
Just brilliant - thanks and we always get a genuine warm welcome from all you staff and the ladies in the cafe too !
Warmest regards,
Nick
Visitor March 2025
The visit was very informative and reached back 300 years to show what lives people experienced . The  catering was excellent and varied. Hope to return one day
Emma Benny
To Bolton Castle staff,
My father and I visited Bolton Castle today (Friday 21st July) and I wanted to express our gratitude for the wonderful experience we had. The Castle staff were all so friendly and welcoming.
I was most impressed with the Lad who facilitated the Falconry and Archery. His knowledge on the birds was phenomenal and his presence and confidence during his time showing the birds was wonderful to watch, we were really impressed.
We really appreciated his time spent answering questions and chatting with us and the other Castle guests.
Thank you so much for a great experience.
Visitor March 2025
Well worth a visit Impromptu visit to the castle on our weekend van trip. The castle is easy to find with a good sized car park. The castle is full of history and information for each area telling you stories of the past! The cafe was really nice but the best thing for us was the falconry show at 3pm hosted by Kelly who was absolutely fantastic, enthusiastic and informative!
Dom Bristow

I rarely write emails like this but feel compelled to in this instance. We visited the castle on 29th July, on a weekend when there were a number of volunteers demonstrating and talking about life in a Tudor household. It was absolutely brilliant. The patience of each person to talk us through different aspects of life and the amount of passion they had for the history was astonishing. The few hours we spent there was fantastic and we really want to come back.

I think it was Keith in the kitchen that mentioned they do this on four weekends a year, two for the Tudors and two for another period. Would it be possible to find out when they will be at the castle again?

Keep up the good work and please pass on our praise to the volunteers.

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Download our new audio App from Apple's App Store or Google Play Store and hear the stories of the castle brought alive. Our easy to navigate App is a fun way to find out about our turbulent history, our castle incumbents and their way of life through the ages. There's an audio tour for each room of the castle, so you can dip in and out as much as you wish, with voices from our Living History team who know and love the castle. Find out about Mary Queen of Scots' captivity, how Lord Scrope's army prepared for war, and how the servants made sure life included some luxuries as well as day to day chores to keep this home functioning, amongst other sneak peeks on life in a castle. It's time to immerse yourself in our history and find out more than you ever thought you needed to know!  Free with entry, the audio App lets you unlock the stories behind the castle walls.

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Bolton Castle
Nr Leyburn
North Yorkshire
DL8 4ET

T: 01969 623981
E: info@boltoncastle.co.uk

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E: dave@timetalks.org.uk

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