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Along the eastern edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds there are many deserted mediaeval villages. Some little more than small manorial settlements, rather like the one pictured below. These villages are all centered on one of the numerous valleys formed by run-off from the high ground of the Wolds to the west. This one is particularly pretty, with an eastern outlook across what used to be marshes leading out to the North Sea. Looking back up the valley shows the typical Wolds scenery of a gently climbing valley to the higher chalk hills in the distance.

Although there are traces of the original building walls and field divisions, these are now only visible as low mounds in the pasture. The hawthorne trees running across the picture mid distance mark one of the drainage ditches. Originally this would have been a hedge and ditch marking a field division.

Often these villages still show the remains of their existence more materially; as in Calceby which still has part of its church standing. More information about these villages will be covered on successive pages.

The village of Bolingbroke, nestling in its quiet hollow in the wolds just to the south-east of Horncastle seems such an idylic place. Its history though is one of turmoil and battles for the crown of England. The manor passed into the hands of the "House of Lancaster" in 1311.

Old Bolingbroke can be found just off the A155 by turning north at Hagnaby. To the north-east of the village is a hill that overlooks the brook which runs down from Sow Dale. Early in the history of the village, this was the site of an early castle: Probably beginning during the Iron Age, it began as a hill fort.

Later it was a revetted fort or early type of fortified encampment. The hill would have had a timber revetment on its slopes whilst its summit would have been the position of the camp with a hall taking the centre point for the settlement.

The present site of the castle was built on by Sir Randulf de Blundeville, Earl of Chester, in the early 13th Century. About the earliest structure little is known for certain, but it is thought that the beginnings of a castle was built and protected by the moat. Material from the moat was placed in the center to form a higher, dryer base for the buildings inside the castle walls. The castle passed into the hands of John 'O Gaunt in 1363. Around this connection there was built a thriving market town that flourished during the early Middle Ages.

The castle is built of "Spilsby Greenstone" a type of sandstone, common in the area and much used for early church building. The picture at left shows the building materials and style well.

In 1367 Henry IV was born in the castle, taking his name from the castle of his birth he became Henry Bolingbroke. It was in 1399 that Henry Bolingbroke announced in English that he was the rightful successor to the throne of England being the heir of Henry III. Thus he deposed Richard II who died a lonely death in Pontefract castle, either by suffocation or more likely self-starvation in his torment at losing the crown of England.

In the mid-17th century, the castle was held by Royalist forces. The castle was used as a station for their troops just prior to the "Battle of Winceby". After the Parliamentarian victory of that battle the castle was damaged to inhibit its return and use by the opposing force. Following that the castle fell into total disrepair and the structure went into collapse. The last standing wall fianlly collapsed in the early 19th century.