Belvoir Castle, Belvoir, Leicestershire
Robert de Todeni built the first Belvoir Castle in the late 11th century. The name appears for the first time as Belvedere in a document dated 1130. In 1247 the castle came to the de Ros family who strengthened the fortifications. Some medieval remains could still possibly be contained in the south-east (Staunton) tower. When the last of the Ros's had been hanged by Edward IV, the castle came to Lord Hastings. He took material from it for Ashby de la Zouch castle. It was in a ruined state when the Manners of Etal (in Northumberland) inherited it. Rebuilding began by the first Earl of Manners of Rutland but it was slighted in 1649. The eighth Earl built a new castle (or rather mansion) in c1654-68. In 1800, the fifth Duke of Rutland decided to remodel it into the shape of a medieval castle. A fire in 1816 destroyed some of the building but it was rebuilt and the place was completed by c1830.
