Meet the men from the castle’s garrison during the English Civil war. Find out about their lives, their arms and equipment and why they were fighting for the king. Whose side would you have been on?
For the majority of 1645, Bolton Castle, held by Lord Scrope for King Charles 1, was put under siege by a Parliamentarian army. Having exhausted their food stocks and nearly all their ammunition, the garrison finally surrendered to Colonel Lascelles on November 5th. Lord Scrope, with all his men, was allowed to march out through the still existing portcullis gateway, complete with weapons and colours. The castle was taken over by parliament and in 1647 was slighted, that is destroyed to such an extent that it could no longer be used as a defensible building, even though over a third of the rooms are intact. This is the castle you visit today. Come and meet some of the defenders; handle their arms and equipment and take part in a practise pike drill. Find out why they fought for the king and see if you can decide which side you would have been on.
