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Bolebroke Castle today

England · Still standing

Bolebroke Castle

Bolebroke Castle is a late 15th-century brick hunting lodge north of Hartfield in East Sussex, England. Built around 1480, it is a Grade II* listed former manor used historically as a royal hunting base and later as a filming location.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

1480

Today

Still standing

As it stood in 1480

What Bolebroke Castle looked like in its prime.

A compact, three-storey late-medieval brick manor with multiple steep gables and a long horizontal frontage; red-brown brick walls and red clay tiled roofs punctured by tall, square brick chimney stacks. Large vertical mullioned windows with leaded diamond panes occupy the main elevations; smaller gabled dormer windows sit in the roof. The main entrance is a low-headed doorway set in the central run of the house. The building stands within parkland near Ashdown Forest.

Its story

The story of Bolebroke Castle.

A Brick Hunting Lodge North of Hartfield, c.1480

Despite the name, Bolebroke was built of brick around 1480 as a hunting lodge rather than a fortress, standing north of the village of Hartfield in East Sussex, near Ashdown Forest.

Henry VIII, Ashdown Forest and the Courtship of Anne Boleyn

Henry VIII is said to have stayed at Bolebroke when he hunted wild boar and deer in Ashdown Forest. The house lies only five miles from Hever Castle, and it was the base from which the king conducted his courtship of Anne Boleyn.

Grade II* Listed in 1953, a Film Location in 2008

Bolebroke was listed Grade II* on 26 November 1953. It was used as a location for the 2008 film The Other Boleyn Girl, and the Bolebroke Castle Miniature Railway was once located within its grounds.

Step inside

6 places to explore in 1480.

The record describes 6 distinct spots at Bolebroke Castle, including the full exterior approach. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Approach across the forecourt toward the front façadeMain entrance doorway at ground levelTall east gabled range with large vertical windowLeft-hand range with dormers and service windowsRoofscape with clustered brick chimneysImmediate grounds and parkland edge toward Ashdown Forest

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The artist rebuilds it as it stood in 1480, a photoreal reconstruction that belongs to you alone. Pay with coins, no subscription needed.

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Nearby

Landmarks within reach of Bolebroke Castle.

Chartwell, EnglandMuseumChartwell14 km awayKnole House, EnglandMuseumKnole House18 km awayOuse Valley Viaduct, EnglandBridgeOuse Valley Viaduct18 km away

Questions about Bolebroke Castle

What is the history of Bolebroke Castle?

Bolebroke Castle is a 15th-century brick hunting lodge built around 1480. Henry VIII is said to have stayed there while hunting wild boar and deer in nearby Ashdown Forest. The house was also the base for his courtship of Anne Boleyn and later became a filming location for the 2008 film The Other Boleyn Girl.

Why was Bolebroke Castle built, and what was it used for?

Bolebroke Castle was built as a hunting lodge and royal hunting base. Its setting near Ashdown Forest supported hunting for wild boar and deer, and Henry VIII used the house as a base during his courtship of Anne Boleyn. It was later used as a filming location.

Where is Bolebroke Castle?

Bolebroke Castle is north of Hartfield in East Sussex, near Ashdown Forest. It lies in the administrative area of Hartfield, and the village of Hartfield is the nearest named settlement in the supplied material. The house stands within parkland and is five miles from Hever Castle.

When was Bolebroke Castle built?

Bolebroke Castle was built around 1480, in the late 15th century. Its first-raised year is not recorded, but the supplied descriptions consistently place its construction in the 15th century and give around 1480 as the building date.

What did Bolebroke Castle look like in its prime?

Bolebroke Castle is a compact, three-storey late-medieval brick manor with multiple steep gables and a long horizontal frontage. It has red-brown brick walls, red clay tiled roofs, tall square brick chimneys, and large vertical mullioned windows with leaded diamond panes. Smaller gabled dormers punctuate the roof.

Is Bolebroke Castle still standing or is it a ruin?

Bolebroke Castle is still standing and intact, rather than a ruin. It is a Grade II* listed building, with its late-medieval brick manor form, steep gables, tiled roofs and clustered brick chimneys surviving as the principal visible features.

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