Belvoir Castle, the home of the Duke and Duchess of Rutland, in Leicestershire, was on our original schedule last year, but due to the wedding of the Duke's eldest daughter, Lady Violet, to Viscount Garnock, we had to change plans. The castle is usually open from Wednesday through Monday.
https://www.belvoircastle.com/
I arrived in London on June 10th and headed from Heathrow to Paddington (Heathrow Express) to King's Cross (Hammersmith & City Line), where I would catch a train to Harrogate via Leeds. My flight was on time, so when I got to King's Cross, I went into the ticket office to see if I could get the earlier train that left at 10:40 a.m. Paid £10 for the change. Watched the departure board only to notice that train after train heading north was delayed. The fine print noted that between Peterborough and Stevenage a person had been hit by a train.
I went back into the ticket office to find out more. I was told that I could use the ticket on any train. As I was leaving the office, the woman who had done my ticket exchange brought me back to her window, refunded the £10, and issued me another ticket.
The departure board now notes that all the trains are canceled. I get in line outside the ticket office with a LNER representative, who asks me where I am going. I said Harrogate (and I can go via Leeds or York). She said I could walk to Euston and get a train to Manchester, then Leeds or St Pancras to Sheffield, where I could get a train to Leeds. I asked which would be better. She responded: St. Pancras (which is across the street from King's Cross).
I said thank you and walked across the street. St. Pancras was crazy. I had to walk all the way to the end of the station, take the escalator to the second floor, and then walk all the way back to the departure area. The other escalators were closed because of the crowds.
The line for the Sheffield train was horrendous. I think I got on the second train. A nice person helped me and my luggage onto the train. I managed to get a window seat, but we were all crammed in with people sitting on the floor as well. No snack trolley. To get to the loo, one had to climb over a few people. It takes about 2 hours to get to Sheffield. At one point, the conductor came on to say that the train was making an unscheduled stop in Duffield, just past Derby, as someone had pushed the emergency button.
The emergency services got on at Duffield and assisted a young woman off the train after she became unwell on the crowded train. Just after the train pulled out of Chesterfield, the conductor came on again, and from the sound of his voice, it was apparent he did not want to give more bad news. We would be delayed into Sheffield and would have to take a cross-county diversion as a car had hit the railroad bridge. Let's just say, the train eventually arrived in Sheffield. I still had two trains to catch. I also needed to get a sandwich and a bottle of water. And then I was off to Leeds, a 40-minute-or-so journey ... and then a train to Harrogate, which suffered from low power. I should have arrived in Harrogate at 1:20 p.m. I did not arrive until just before 6 p.m.
The conductor reminded travelers about the delay refund. When I got to Harrogate, I asked what this was, and how to do it. I was given the link to the website. I filled out the form and hit the submit button. Because the delay was more than two hours, I received a total refund: £39.60!!!!!!
Michael and Alison Rhodes were waiting at the train station. I was soooooo happy to see them. After dropping off my luggage and having a cup of tea, we decided to go to The Fisherman's Wife in Harrogate. I chose the small haddock and chips, sticky toffee pudding for dessert, and a large glass of chardonnay.
https://thefishermanswife.co.uk/
On Thursday, June 11, we piled into the Cooper and headed toward Belvoir Castle. It rained nearly the entire day, but that did not dampen our spirits.
This is Bertie the Bear, who lives at Belvoir Castle. You can play Find Bertie - there are clues in the booklet that are given to kids. I asked if I could find Bertie. I said: I found all of the Clarence the Corgis on the Royal Yacht Britannia. I was handed the booklet and a pencil. I can take pictures, observe, take in all the history, and look for Bertie.
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| There are many family photographs on display. Belvoir Castle is first and foremost a family home. |
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| Lady Violet is the first of the Duke and Duchess' five children to marry |
Afternoon tea was created at Belvoir Castle by the Duchess of Bedford.
We had lunch in the Aviary Tearoom
https://www.belvoircastle.com/castle-dining/aviary-tearoom |
| Another Bertie |
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| the chapel |
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| This room is where many of Lord and Lady Garnock's wedding photos were taken |
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| Coronation chairs from 1937 and 1952 |
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| found another Bertie |
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| On the left, Frances Sweeney, daughter of Margaret, Duchess of Argyll. Frances was the mother of the present Duke of Rutland. |
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| Can you find Bertie? |
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| There used to be a brewery at Belvoir |
We planned to do an hour-long garden tour, but the little shuttle had broken down, so no garden tour!
The castle is high up on a hill -- and it is a long upward walk from the parking lot to the castle's entrance.
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| Ladscape designer Capability Brown |
Even though the Animal Farm was closed, I was able to see a few animals, including these adorable pigs
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| This was my prize: a cute sticker. I keep it with my Clarence the Corgi button that I got at the Royal Yacht Britannia. |
Back into the Cooper for the nearly 2-hour ride back to Harrogate. During the ride, we discussed possible places for dinner, and settled on The Queen's Head Inn at Kettlesing, just outside Harrogate. I chose the Wensleydale (Cheese) and Bacon salad. Soooooo good. And a Pimms.
https://www.queensheadkettlesing.co.uk/eat.php
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| @Michael Rhodes |
Michel also snapped a few photos of me at Belvoir Castle.
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Bertie is not in this room
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| Ahh, the next room!!! |
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| A bit wet. |
Belvoir is pronounced Beaver Castle. It has been used for numerous film and TV productions, including The Crown.
Books about Belvoir.
The following day, I left Harrogate for London, arriving at King's Cross and catching a bus to Camden Town, where I was staying in an Airbnb—in fact, the same place as last year. After checking in and being treated to a cup of tea, I headed to Piccadilly to shop at Fortnum & Mason and Hatchards, where I bought Hugo Vickers' biography of Queen Elizabeth II.
It was an early night, as I wanted to be on the Mall by 6 a.m., for the Trooping.
Michael Rhodes runs the very excellent Peerage News Blog.
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