Grimsthorpe Castle rises majestically from the flat landscape of South Lincolnshire, surrounded by its extensive park. The principal front of the house, the last masterpiece of the Baroque architect Sir John Vanbrugh, is calculated to impress. Vanbrugh was commissioned in 1715 to build Grimsthorpe by his friend Robert Bertie, the 16th Baron Willoughby de Eresby, to celebrate his enoblement as the first Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven.
While Grimsthorpe is not a castle in the strict sense of the word, its character is massive and martial - the towers and outlying pavilions recalling the bastions of a great fortress in classical dress. For all its grandeur, Vanbrugh's triumphal entrance front is a facade grafted onto a much older house, now much altered and recast.
The State Drawing Room
Grimsthorpe has been the home of the de Eresby family since 1516, when it was granted by Henry VIII to the 10th Baron Willoughby de Eresby on the occasion of his marriage to Maria de Salinas, kinswoman and lady-in-waiting to Queen Catherine of Aragon. Their daughter Katherine inherited the title and estate on the death of her father in 1526, when she was aged just seven and in 1533 became the fourth wife of Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, a close ally of Henry the VIII. He set about exten
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Every effort is made to make sure that all the information is correct but we strongly recommend that you call Grimsthorpe Castle and Gardens before you set off on your day out to confirm opening times and admission prices.
Please also note that the position on Google maps for Grimsthorpe Castle and Gardens is a rough estimate using their postcode in the database and might be slightly out.
It may also be worth clicking the web link for Grimsthorpe Castle and Gardens to see if there are any special events coming up or currently on.
Bourne Heritage Centre