Bolingbroke Castle was built in the early 13th century to a hexagonal plan, with five towers and a gatehouse.

The future King Henry IV was born here in 1366. Besieged and taken by Parliamentary forces in 1643, the towers and walls were later largely demolished, preventing further use of the castle.

This view across the moat from the SW shows the remains of two of the towers, and in the distance Old Bolingbroke church.


Frank Robinson, 2011

View of Bolingbroke Castle, birthplace of Henry IV, with part of the village visible in the background. 

Kelly's Directory of Lincolnshire 1919 states :-

"The castle stood at the southern extremity of the town, and some vestiges of it still remain, although constructed only of local sandstone:

it was, however, a formidable fortress until its capture during the Civil War; on Monday, October 9, 1643, it was attacked by the Parliamentary forces under the Earl of Manchester, and being surrendered after a few days resistance was then dismantled and left to decay :

the gatehouse, the last crumbling remnant, is said  to have fallen down in May, 1815.

The Royal army, when advancing to its relief, suffered a severe reverse at Winceby, near here, October 11, 1643"

DB 13 October 2017

The Black Horse is mentioned in Kelly's Directory of Lincolnshire 1885

"Green John, Black Horse P.H. & grocer"

and in 1919

"Cooper Wm. Henry, Black Horse P.H"

At these dates a second public house called the "Duke's Head" was also listed.

DB 26 October 2018

Looking towards the village center.

DB 26 October 2018

There was an endowed school in the village for many years. In 1840 or 1841 this National School was built.

It closed in 1974 with children transferring to the Gregory Croft CE (Aided) Primary School in East Kirkby.

The three-stage greenstone tower has stepped buttresses, a large 15th century west window and an embattled parapet with eight crocketed pinnacles.

The nave windows, including the one in the west wall seen here,  have fine Decorated style flowing tracery.

July 2014

St Peter and St Paul was built c1360, possibly by John of Gaunt. The building was part destroyed in the Civil War -  the present nave was originally the south aisle.

James Fowler restored the church in the 19th century adding the present north aisle.

July 2014

The view from the north east shows the greenstone tower in its unusual position attached to the north-west corner of the nave.

July 2014

Kelly's Directory of Lincolnshire 1919 states

The church of SS. Peter and Paul, supposed to have been rebuilt soon after 1363, by John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, then owner of Bolingbroke Castle, is an ancient building in the Decorated style, consisting of nave of four bays, north aisle, south porch with a western tower, with eight pinnacles, containing 6 bells, 5 of which were presented in 1898 by Miss Marion Hairby Wingate, in memory of members of the Wingate family and the other in commemoration of the Diamond Jubilee of Her late Majesty Queen Victoria.

in 1889-90 the church was restored and the north aisle rebuilt at a cost of £3,000, under the direction of the late Mr. J. Fowler, architect, of Louth, and now affords 250 sittings.

DB 26 October 2018

Viewed from the east.

"Parish church. c.1360, possibly for John of Gaunt.

Partly destroyed in the Civil War, restored 1866 by James Fowler of Louth, and again in 1889"

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1359705 

DB 26 October 2018

The fittings are all C19.

DB 26 October 2018

"On the south wall an ornate C14 sedilia with crocketed pinnacles, and nodding ogee canopy.

Beyond an ogee headed piscina"

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1359705 

DB 26 October 2018

C19 encaustic tiles decorate the chancel floor.

DB 26 October 2018

The interior of St Peter & St Paul has a 14th century arcade of tall, slender piers.  At the east end of the chancel is a five-light window with fine flowing tracery in Decorated style.

July 2014

Looking east towards the chancel.

"The present nave was the south aisle of the Cl4 church"

"C14 4 bay nave arcade, now giving access to the new north aisle, with tall continuously moulded pointed arches, and filleted orders with moulded bases"

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1359705 

DB 26 October 2018

Looking west towards the font and west window.

"Large 4 light C14 window with flowing tracery"

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1359705 

DB 26 October 2018

"C14 font which is octagonal, with elaborate stem with clustered chamfered shafts with pyramidal stepped bases"

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1359705 

DB 26 October 2018

"Large 4 light C14 window with flowing tracery"

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1359705 

Stained glass from 1903. 

Kelly's Directory of Lincolnshire 1919 states

"the west window is a memorial to the late John Holmes and was given by his widow in 1903"  

DB 26 October 2018

Organ in the last bay of the north aisle.

"Henry Groves & Son 

Nottingham

1994" 

http://www.henrygroves.co.uk/home/4537847651 

DB 26 October 2018

The holy water stoup in the porch has a 14th century cusped and crocketed canopy.

July 2014

An attractive rainwater head, probably dating from Fowler's restoration of the church in 1890.

NM 2018

The quiet heart of this historic village.

drawing by Tom Brooker, 1970

Coat of arms held aloft in the foreground.

"The royal village of Old Bolingbroke.

The shield bears the arms of Edmund first Earl of Lancaster.

These are the arms of the Duchy of Lancaster, who presented the shield to this village on August 4th 1966, in commemoration of the birth in Bolingbroke Castle in 1366, of Henry Bolingbroke Duke of Lancaster, King Henry IV of England.

The roses are the original rose of Lancaster, grown in Provins and adopted by Edmund as his emblem in 1280.

They are a gift to the village from the Mayor and people of Provins, March 1967"

Village war memorial visible background right. 

DB 26 October 2018

"First World War memorial.

Erected in 1920 to a design by Ernest Browning of Messrs Browning and Sons of Spilsby"

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1444569 

DB 26 October 2018

This view from the west shows that the building stands back from the road with a well maintained graveyard in front.

The circular green and blue symbol signifies that it is in regular use for worship and the yellow box is a defibrillator.

(The chapel actually closed for worship in 2023.) 

Jean Howard, April 2022

Begun as a Wesleyan Methodist chapel in 1845, this building was extended in 1905 and served as the village's Methodist church until closure in June 2023.

Viewed from the northwest. 

Jean Howard, April 2022

An ornate and very unusual datestone incorporating the words 'Faith Hope and Charity' and an anchor symbol. The vast majority of chapel datestones only give the name of the chapel and the date.

Jean Howard, April 2022

Although on the side elevation of the building this imposing doorcase stands forward of the wall which houses a pair of boot scrapers.

Jean Howard 17 April 2022

Ornamental ironwork at the boundary with the footway.

Jean Howard 17 April 2022

Unusually the chapel has a number of gravestones – most Methodist places of worship fill the entire footprint of the land given so that members are interred in the parish churchyard. Three are for members of the Chatterton family and the two nearer ones for Hobsons.

Jean Howard 17 April 2022

The smaller building to the side is the 1908 Sunday school extension. Foundation stones show that Miss Hardy gave the site and that J W G Hyde was ‘an old scholar’.

Jean Howard 17 April 2022

This short, three-storied mill standing on Kirkby Hill had a lime-washed tower.

Jon Sass Collection, undated photograph

The mill at Old Bolingbroke worked by wind until 1950 and was dismantled in 1953.

Location of mill: TF 339 642

Peter Kirk Collection, 1999