Bolesworth Castle has been a sanctuary for the Barbour dynasty for more than 160 years.
For Nina Barbour, it is not only a legacy but also a place where cherished memories are made.
The 6,500-acre estate, which has been in Nina’s family since 1856, has seen numerous changes and renovations over the years, but one thing remains constant – its ability to captivate anyone who steps foot on the grounds, whatever time of year.
‘My parents moved in in 1986, and my younger sister Cleo and I grew up here,’ Nina tells me from the beautiful Georgian castle she lives in – surrounded by the sprawling estate’s landscaped gardens, rolling parklands and stunning architectural details.
‘As a child it was an amazing place to have adventures – indoors in the attics or cellars and outside in the amazing gardens and grounds. I grew up with ponies and dogs and it always felt like a proper home, although it is a big place.’
Nina lives at Bolesworth with her son, William, aged five, and their two dogs, Alfie, a five-year-old white chocolate labrador, and Flopsie, a seven-year-old chocolate labrador. When Nina’s parents, her late father, Anthony, and mother, Diana, moved to Bolesworth, the property was in need of significant repair.
‘It was a major renovation,’ Nina says. ‘It needed reroofing, replumbing, rewiring and dry rot had set in in several rooms. My mother then asked interior designer Nina Campbell to undertake the redecoration of the castle.’
To showcase a sense of its history, a lot of the house has remained intact since its original construction, with its grand marble hallways and stunning octagonal drawing room standing as testament to the castle’s historic charm. It’s also now a place of modernity and transformation. In 2020, the interior saw changes made to enhance the contemporary living the family sought, as well as protect it for future generations.
‘The house is 200 years old,’ Nina says. ‘It was built for a Manchester businessman, George Walmesley, in 1826 and purchased in 1856 by my ancestor, Robert Barbour, who came from Glasgow to Manchester and built a thriving cotton business. The hallway is largely unchanged since the house was built and features a marble floor with marble-effect scagliola pillars. The living space remains much as it was since the renovation in 1986.’
In 2020, the interior was refreshed for the first time since 1986, with thoughtful updates to better suit the family, including the kitchen.
According to Nina, the kitchen is ‘the heart of the house’ and has undergone a transformation into a bright modern space that still showcases the original gilded detail on the walls and ceiling. The dining room, next to the kitchen, is also freshly decorated and doubles up as a smart function room, which can be used for high-end dinners and board meetings. But Nina’s favourite room is the amazing octagonal drawing room with a grand piano as its main feature.
Despite its size, Bolesworth Castle feels warm and inviting, even in the chill of winter, although it really comes to life in summer.
‘In the summer, the main living rooms and the kitchen all open out into the garden,’ Nina says. ‘We often get bats flying in through the castle windows at this time and they need to be gently persuaded to leave the building. The gardens have been the life work of my parents, who have created a glorious rhododendron garden on the Rock Walk above the castle.’
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The gardens open for the National Garden Scheme each year and will be open May 8-9 this year. They date back further than the castle, as this was built on the site of an earlier grand house, dating from 1750.
The lake was dug in the 1770s and the romantic stone bridge that crosses it was the work of Robert Mylne (1733-1811), a Scottish architect and civil engineer, well known in his day, who also built the original Blackfriars Bridge over the River Thames, in London.
For Nina, managing Bolesworth is more than just a job and she has worked tirelessly to continue her family’s legacy. After graduating from Cambridge University, she returned to Bolesworth to help manage the estate.
‘After university I concentrated on my equestrian business for a while, at the same time training up to run the family estate and events business,’ she says. ‘Highlights definitely include the events we run, including Bolesworth International, where we welcome prestigious classic cars and supercars, and more than 700 horses from all over the world to compete in two weeks of world-class showjumping, alongside hospitality and premium entertainment.’
Bolesworth International is described as ‘a world-class equestrian showjumping event where excellence in sport meets horsepower in every form’. Across two summer weekends, from June 26-July 5 this year, the event showcases competitive showjumping at the highest levels and exceptional automotive design, from timeless classics to modern supercars, plus shopping and dining in this most beautiful of Cheshire settings.
The estate – also a venue hotspot for largescale events and premium brand activations and used as a location for films and TV – has now launched holiday lets and hosted a family friendly festival for the first time last summer, Together Again, which featured Dizzee Rascal, Olly Murs and Jamie Webster. The festival returns from July 24-26, again bringing together world-class music and a vibrant family-friendly atmosphere with a packed line-up including Becky Hill, James Arthur, Cast, The Fratellis, Heather Small, The Hoosiers and Scouting For Girls. It’s clear Bolesworth is not only a castle of tradition but also a place where the future is embraced – and in the capable hands of Nina Barbour this family home will surely continue to thrive.
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