Kimbolton Castle: Studying At Hogwarts
A Day Trip Post
Photo Credit: Wingfield Family Society
Founded during the Norman period, Kimbolton Castle is a wondrous gem often overlooked by the traditional tourist sites of England. Barely making a dot on a map, Kimbolton is a small civil parish in the county of Cambridgeshire. If you are lucky enough to be in the area during March and November, you will get the chance to go inside and experience the elegance and history of a remarkable castle-turned-school in the English countryside.
Kimbolton Castle is most notably known as the refuge for Queen Katherine of Aragon. Once Katherine, the first wife of King Henry VIII, was divorced, she was incarcerated from London and sent here. She spent her last few months at Kimbolton as a prisoner of the castle, where she later died in what is now the Headmaster’s office (imagine having the ghost of a former queen in your study – and you thought you were having a toxic working environment). She died in the Headmaster’s office… I mean the Queen’s Room, which is the famous scene for Shakespeare’s play Henry VIII.
Another figure known within the Headmaster’s office is an unassuming portrait of a man above the fireplace. That man is Sir John Popham – the judge during the infamous trial of Guy Fawkes. If you don’t know who Guy Fawkes is, look him up. When you hear of Brits celebrating with fireworks and burning effigies at the beginning of November, it’s because of Guy Fawkes. Or, if you don’t like the sound of burning effigies, go and watch V for Vendetta, as my husband recommends – not accurate at all, but a fun watch nonetheless.
As you are wandering the castle, there is a name that is mentioned frequently: Montagu. Sir Henry Montagu bought the Castle in 1615, and the family kept it until 1950. The Montagu family was quite powerful. Sir Henry Montagu was the 1st Earl of Manchester and his son, Edward, the 2nd Earl, was a parliamentarian and Oliver Cromwell’s superior officer in the first part of the English Civil War (1642 – 1651). It wasn’t until later on that the 4th Earl of Manchester, Charles Edward Montagu (became the 1st Duke of Manchester in 1719), decided to give the castle a facelift and add structures to what the castle presently looks like. This became known as the “Great Rebuilding.” It took nearly 30 years to build and construct the immaculate elegance that is Kimbolton Castle. He rebuilt the courtyard, added the main staircase, restructured the south-east corner after a building collapse, and brought in architects, such as Henry Bell of Kings Lynn, and Sir John Vanbrugh and Nicolas Hawksmoor, two of the best-known architects of their time. They can be thanked for what you see in your travels to Kimbolton. There is much more history to this beautiful castle, but I am leaving the rest of it for you to explore when you visit.
As you walk through the castle, there is a strange sense of familiarity. You almost feel like you’re home, but you can’t quite describe it. I knew of Kimbolton because of my cousin Vinnie (yeah, I do have a cousin named Vinnie), who studies at the school. Remember when I said the Montagu family owned the castle until 1950? Well, the castle became Kimbolton School from that time to present. It is considered a very prestigious private boarding school, much like Hogwarts. What I was surprised to know is how much they resemble that of the Wizarding World. When you enter Upper Prep here, you are split into four houses: Fitzpiers, Stafford, Wingfield, and Montagu. All of these houses have their own strengths, and the student usually gets sorted into one based on their personalities and strengths. They have their own assemblies and get-togethers. They have their own competitions against other houses. Yes, they compete for the House Cup. They have their own unique staircases that resemble something from a J.K. Rowling book, but with gorgeous 1700’s railing and stunning murals depicting Julius Caesar, cherubs, and musicians as if they were conversing with one another. They have their uniforms. The common place where all houses meet: the dungeon! I knew this place felt familiar. It feels much like a dreamland, but it’s reality. These things really do exist in real life, and I am all for it!
So, if you’re a history buff… or a Harry Potter fan… you will get a sense of warmth as you walk through these stories. Stories displaying other time periods, architecture, and even fantasy. There are many other castles in Britain that have incredible stories, but only one can be an inspiration for a Shakespearian play, a seat of an influential family, and a prestigious boarding school that resembles Hogwarts all in one! And that place, I am happy to say exists and is called Kimbolton Castle.
