Take a journey from basement to battlements and discover a medieval gem. Climb the 150 steps to the top of six floors where fabulous views await.
Whet your appetite with these five highlights from the Castle:
Dare you descend?
© NTPL / Mike Williams
It's easy to imagine prisoners locked up in the dark corners of the Castle's atmospheric basement. It's said to have been used as a dungeon during the Civil War.
The basement also once held storerooms for expensive items like spices for the kitchen. These days, the only residents you'll find are bats who roost in the spaces between the bricks.
Pay your dues
© National Trust
The magnificent fireplace in the Parlour on the ground floor was designed to impress. Here, local tenants met with Lord Cromwell’s steward to pay their rents. It was vital that the room was imposing, to remind them of the Lord's greatness.
If you notice that the fireplace looks a little worn, it's thanks to the cattle housed here during the 18th century. It made for a very convenient and rather grand scratching post.
back to top
Dining with the family
© NTPL / Mike Williams
A man such as Lord Cromwell needed to entertain in style and the first floor's Great Hall provided the perfect venue. It was used to wine and dine the family's most important guests and was linked directly to the kitchens.
As you continue to ascend the staircase, admire its carved stone handrail, one of the finest to be found. Follow it all the way up, alongside every one of the 150 steps.
An audience with Lord Cromwell
© NTPL / Mike Williams
Only the great and good would have been admitted to the Castle's Audience Chamber, on the second floor, for a meeting with Lord Cromwell. The magnificent brick-vaulted corridor led them first into a small waiting room, where keeping them waiting would have been a pert reminder of Cromwell's clout.
The Audience Chamber houses beautiful Flemish tapestries, bought by Lord Curzon to dress the Castle he had so lovingly restored.
back to top
The view from the top
© NTPL / Andrew Butler
Stunning views are the reward for your climb to the battlements at the top of the Castle. Walk around on a fine day and enjoy scenery stretching as far as Lincoln Cathedral and the towering St Botolph's Church, known as the 'Boston Stump'.
During your walk, look out for the machicolation holes. More commonly found on French castles, the holes are rare in English buildings. Thankless attackers on the ground would have felt the velocity of missiles dropped from them.
|
