Dales castle heralds the return of wild boar

Bolton Castle dominates its part of the valley in middle Wensleydale. You can see why the Scrope family built it that way, with four massive towers, a central courtyard, entrances up narrow flights of steps, various portcullis, its integral armoury, brewery, forge and living quarters for family, servants and the famed Wensleydale archers.

This defensive strategy led also to its demise. After holding out for six months in the Civil War, Cromwell ordered the castle to be "rendered untenable", which was achieved by burning the East Curtain and North West Tower (about a quarter of the castle). Henry VIII's commissioners had earlier fired the chapel, as a reprisal for the Northern Uprising.

Parts of the castle are in ruin, however, many of the rooms are preserved almost exactly as they were built over 600 years ago.

More recently, with help from English Heritage, Harry Orde-Powlett, now the eighth Lord Bolton, undertook a three phase conservation project so that visitors are able to enjoy full access to the building.

Tom Orde-Powlett, eldest son of Lord and Lady Bolton, took over the castle in 2007. A new broom, and all that, and as father gets on with running the 12,500 acre estate, 31-year-old Tom runs the castle, lock, stock, shield, halberd, sword, and barrel, plus the nursery, show kitchen, in fact, a display of how things were in medieval times.

This year, with Katie Boggis (ex National Trust, Speke Hall, Liverpool) joining as general manager, he has opened up the archers' garrison and the armoury. John, the 5th Lord Scrope, had established the armoury to arm his men at Towton in 1461. He died from an infected wound. His grandson, Henry, the 7th Lord Scrope, commanded the feared Wensleydale archers at Flodden Field in 1513.

The wars are over but this year, quietly, the family have re-introduced an ancient inhabitant of the area, the wild boar. It is doubly fitting because it has its place in heraldry. It is the emblem on the battle banner of Richard III which hangs in a banqueting hall. A mounted boar's head faces it from across the room.

Tom explains that the boar signified valour in battle. Richard lived nearby at Middleham Castle and owned the royal deer parks in the valley. Boars were common and a valiant adversary.

"It was a prized hunting quarry for honing their military skills," says Tom. "They would hunt them from horseback with dogs as a form of practice," says Tom, "either killing them with a spear or dismounting and using their sword."

No such fate will befall the two breeding sows, or the male boar who will be joining them this winter to do his duty. They stand the castle at 600 a head and live in a four-acre woodland, fenced in at a cost of 11,000.

They are wild boar, mostly in name and breed but with 16 or so generations of domestic rearing his herd, or sounder as they are correctly termed, are probably no wilder than Pinky and Perky.

At present the two sows are living there with seven boarlets, which will be moved on in November for growing and, probably, the meat trade.

These still cute youngsters are on loan from the producer of the boars, who is looking after the boar meantime.

The sows will produce a litter in the spring and the sounder will spend its summer and autumn in the woods before the boarlets are sold on for fattening up for another year and then the table. They take four times as long as a domestic pig to reach a killing weight, so are never going to be cheap meat.

Tom admits it is a loss-leader, a way of attracting more visitors. "We are going to lose money on them," he admits, citing the costs of the animals and their electrified enclosure. "They settled in incredibly quickly and are completely relaxed."

Katie adds: "They sunbathe over there," pointing to the wood edge where the boars have snuffled up the turf into a mess of mud and stones and roots.

In the background is their arc, a legal requirement, but at present they sleep in the forest. For all their rooting up and the occasional acorn and beech mast, they are not self- sufficient. Feeding time brings them scampering for the high protein pig pellets. Visitors young and old enjoy this scene.

The castle itself closes for the season soon but the daily routine continues for the boars, which can be seen from the car park. Coming next year: falcons and archery.

n Bolton Castle, Castle Bolton, Leyburn, North Yorkshire DL8 4ET, tel 01969 623332 and email@ boltoncastle.co.uk

The castle closes on October 30 until February 19 but special events include a Christmas Through the Ages tableaux from December 18-22.

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