Kimbolton, Castle and Stonely

Vanbrugh's building stands on the site of an earlier castle, parts of which survive in the inner wall and the courtyard. It was here that Catherine of Aragon, first wife of Henry VIII and mother of Queen Mary, was sent to live after being divorced by Henry; she died at the castle in 1536 and was buried in Peterborough Cathedral.

A later owner of the castle was Henry Montagu; in his capacity as Lord Chief Justice, he had Sir Walter Raleigh sent to the block. His son, Edward Montagu, was a Roundhead leader during the Civil War (1642–51) and defeated Prince Rupert at the Battle of Marston Moor.

To the north of Kimbolton lies Warren Spinney, formerly the castle's rabbit warren. Rabbits were introduced to this country from France in the 12th century; in the Middle Ages, they were important game, and the taking of them was strictly controlled by royal licence. Local landowners in possession of such authority employed a full-time keeper to manage warrens (often artificially constructed) and to cull rabbits for the table as required.

Returning to the town once more, the route takes you along East Street, where there is a delightful jumble of houses and cottages from the 16th and 17th centuries (one house has a huge sundial on the front wall and a frieze of moulded heads).

The Church of St Andrew, set in an attractive churchyard, boasts a handsome tower from the early 14th century topped with a broach spire. The nave has a 13th-century arcade and a later roof, and there is a great deal of interesting carving in its stonework and woodwork.

The South Chapel houses monuments to the Montagu family of Kimbolton Castle and has an oak screen decorated with 15th-century paintings. There is a lovely window dedicated by the American widow of the 8th Duke of Manchester to the memory of her twin daughters, made by Tiffany of New York in 1902.

Finally, you return to the start by walking along the High Street, which contains some elegant Georgian buildings sandwiched between the church at one end and Adam's Gatehouse at the other.

Acknowledgment: Text derived from the Out and Out Series; Discovering the Countryside on Foot. Pictures courtesy of Wikipedia.