About
Bolsover Cundy House is a small conduit house built in the early 17th century to supply water to Bolsover Castle, about 300 metres away; 'cundy' is a corruption of the French word conduit. Built into the slope at a spring, it held a lead tank, and a pipe siphoned water across the valley to the castle's cistern house and on to the Venus Fountain in the garden. The supply worked until the 1920s, and the roofless building was restored in 2003. Look for the neatly cut stone, the classical keystone over the door and the solid stone-vaulted roof, then peer through the iron gate at the brick tank, which still collects water. Looked after by Bolsover Civic Society for English Heritage, it lies outside the castle grounds, reached by a tarmac path from Craggs Road. Dogs on leads are welcome. It is an optional detour on English Heritage's seven-mile circular walk between Bolsover Castle and Sutton Scarsdale Hall.
Open in daylightFrom English Heritage's calendar
- Open any reasonable time in daylight
From English Heritage's published calendar, updated 1 October 2026, with dates up to 16 March 2027.
Opening times may change at short notice.
Exterior only, open any reasonable time during daylight hours; the interior is closed but can be viewed through the wrought iron gate in the doorway.
Managed by Bolsover Civic Society for English Heritage. No facilities on site; Bolsover town centre is a five-minute walk away.
Accessibility: a tarmac path from Craggs Road leads almost to the building; the last part crosses grass up a slope, and there are four steps up to the doorway.
Parking: No parking on site; it is possible to park on the surrounding streets very nearby.
Photo: Mickthebald. CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cundy_House.jpg. Resized for display.
Dogs at the location: Allowed with restrictions. Dogs on leads are welcome at the open access exterior.
Dog walks in the grounds: Allowed with restrictions. Dogs on leads on the grassed area around the building; no admission needed.
Leads: On leads.
PricingFreeFree for all visitors
Free entry for everyone
Entry
Free for everyone
Pricing details
Free to everyone; open access exterior. English Heritage membership is not needed.
ParkingNo car park
Arrive on foot, by bike or by public transport.
Parking details
No parking on site; it is possible to park on the surrounding streets very nearby.
Driving arrival: the Cundy House off Craggs Road and Houghton Road (Bolsover Hill); a tarmac path from Craggs Road leads almost to the building.
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Walking routes1 route
Walking Guide: Bolsover Castle to Sutton Scarsdale Hall(opens the full route on the National Trust site)
WalkDogs, with restrictions11 km distance2hr30–3hr to walk
