As Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire opens its ancient oak doors for an exciting new season, visitor data reveals that it has welcomed 13% more day-tripper visitors over the last year than in 2024.
Nestled above the rolling Vale of Belvoir, Belvoir Castle is home to the Duke and Duchess of Rutland and their five children and is one of England’s most treasured historic homes.
During 2025, Belvoir Castle welcomed more than 83,500 visitors to the Castle, grounds and gardens, reinforcing its position as a key destination within East Midlands’ tourist destinations. The increase in visitors has been attributed to a boost in attendees to new events and calendar highlights including it’s A Magical Night Before Christmas event and its annual Flower and Garden Show.
Following the release of national statistics from The Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (AVLA), the East Midlands is one of the most visited places outside London with year-on-year growth of 7% in the last year. The AVLA said total visits to its 409 sites had continued to increase in 2025, but were still below pre-Covid levels.
ALVA director Bernard Donoghue OBE said:
“Visitor attractions are the places that people prize most and provide the experiences that people, even in a cost-of-living crisis, are most loathe to give up.”
He continued:
“In a time of unpredictable futures, uncertain economics, global insecurities, economic challenges, and an ongoing cost-of-living crisis, the UK public are more tactical than ever in deciding how they spend their leisure pounds and their leisure hours.”
The popularity of Belvoir Castle has continued into 2026, when it opened its doors in March. Over the Easter bank holiday weekend (2-6 April) Belvoir Castle welcomed more than 3,200 visitors across the Castle, gardens and grounds and Adventure Playground. The Animal Park, located in the Belvoir Retail Village, saw the highest number of visitors since it opened in October 2024.
“We are thrilled to see such a fantastic response from our visitors throughout the seasons,”
said Eleanor Melville, marketing manager of Belvoir Castle.
“This increase in visitor numbers is a testament to the hard work of our team who work hard every day to create exciting memorable, engaging experiences for everyone whether they’re on a tour through the Castle, taking a tranquil stroll through the spring gardens or popping into the Farm Shop to buy fresh Belvoir produce.”
This growth in visitor numbers reflects recent investment into the wider Belvoir Castle offering, from welcoming new shops in the Retail Village to seasonal activities for families and special events across the Castle and grounds. The Easter weekend also saw the opening of a new boutique for dog owners, the Belvoir Barkery, which received great feedback from dog walkers and four-legged friends during its launch.
Belvoir Castle has also gained national recognition and was awarded the 2025 VisitEngland accolade for “Best Told Story”, celebrating its excellence in visitor experience and storytelling. This year, the Castle has also been shortlisted for Best Family Attraction with Muddy Stilettos (for Northants, Leicestershire and Rutland), and Best Christmas Experience (for UK) with Group Leisure and Travel Awards.
Looking ahead to 2026, Belvoir Castle has a host of season events running throughout the year. One highlight of the calendar is the annual Flower and Garden Show, which will welcome back famous faces from the UK’s favourite gardening programmes including – BBC Gardeners’ World presenter Adam Frost and ITV’s Love Your Garden’s David Domoney.
New for this year, Belvoir Castle will be hosting a very special May Day event on 4May 10am-3pm). This special event brings the centuries-old British May Day traditions to life, blending heritage, music, and family-friendly fun in a truly picturesque setting. In the Belvoir Retail Village, the spirit of May Day continues with a vibrant showcase of local talent and creativity. Visitors will be able to browse stalls from local traders, enjoy live folk music, and experience more traditional performances including Morris dancing and bagpiping.
Belvoir Castle will also be welcoming back Boom Circus during the May bank holiday (23-25 May) for special pirate themed performances, and a series of workshops open to the public.
Regular free community events will also run throughout 2026 in the Belvoir Retail Village, including a book club, hosted by the Belvoir Chaplain, Eddie Wynn MBE, and a monthly Vintage and Craft Market which brings together a carefully curated mix of local artists, makers and craftspeople, alongside antique and collectable sellers, offering everything from handmade homewares and gifts to vintage treasures.
Open seven days a week, Belvoir Retail Village is a thriving shopping and dining hub, sitting at the foot of Belvoir Castle. The retail destination offers artisan shopping in the heart of the stunning Vale of Belvoir and celebrates local food and the best of country living. Restored from working estate buildings, it is home to the latest fashions and accessories from homewares, crafts and toys as well as a range of delicious produce from the Belvoir Estate available in the Farm Shop.
To find out more about Belvoir Castle and its upcoming events please visit belvoircastle.com
Posted on 14 April 2026
