Holt, Grammy and Grampy Visit Bishop Castle Near Rye, Colorado<br>August 11, 2023

Holt, Grammy and Grampy Visit Bishop Castle Near Rye, Colorado
August 11, 2023

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Introduction

Grammy and Grampy decided to take Holt on the 1 1/2 hour, 73 mile drive, to visit Bishop Castle, and amazing one-man construction, Southwest of Colorado Springs. It was a beautiful drive on the secondary roads (see map below) and a partly cloudy, but still beautiful and comfortable drive.

Bishop Castle is fully open at all times to the public for free, provided you read all the signs, are aware of the possible dangers and indemnify the builder from any harm or injury. There have been no serious injuries to the public in the 54+ years of it's existance.

It was started in 1969 (the year of Woodstock, the Moon Landing and the year we were married!), and continues to be built by one man, Jim Bishop, the "Castle Builder", and now, since he has become infirmed by Parkinson's Disease, by his son Dan Bishop, the "Castle Keeper". It stands 165 feet tall, built on solid bedrock from rocks obtained locally from National Forest, roadside, ditches, creek beds, etc. It is constructed of indivdually placed rocks and mortar, wrought iron and wood - all hand made by Jim Bishop, and now his son, Dan.

Also, be sure to view our >>> VIDEO <<<

Cathy & Joe R.

Facts about Bishop Castle:

Started by Jim Bishop in 1969.
165 feet tall and is at 6,000 feet altitude.
The flying buttresses are buried 15-feet down into the ground resting on solid bedrock
Jim hauled 3 tons of rock and installed it every 2 days!
Scales on Dragon are made of discarded stainless steel food warmer trays from a local hospital and hand hammered
and held in place by 12,000 pop-rivets done by Jim Bishop.
The geodesic iron dome on top of one of the towers can spin on a track and is intended to have all the panels as one-way mirrors,
so it would spin and reflect the moonlight at night like a disco ball.
They are in the process of building a stone wall around the entire 2 1/2 acre site.
Bishop bought the land for the site for $450 in 1959 when he was 15.
There are no plans, blueprints or drawings other than the one Jim did to illustrate his book "Castle Building from my point of view".
Jim handles each and every stone in the castle on average of SIX TIMES!
The castle dragon, powered by a hot air balloon burner, is fired up on weekends Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Visitors are always welcome FREE of charge, and the castle itself is always OPEN.

You can view a recent (2022) 13 minute documentary with the son, Dan Bishop, on YouTube at: Bishop Castle Documentary.

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Colorado Springs to Bishop Castle Map

Click on an image to start a Slide Show with that image.

#1 - 8/11/2023 - Grampy, Grammy and Holt (6 yo.) with Bishop Castle in the background

#2 - 8/11/2023 - Grampy setting up for the next photo

#3 - 8/11/2023 - Holt (6 yo.) and Grammy with Bishop Castle in the background

#4 - 8/11/2023 - Holt (6 yo.) and Grammy with Bishop Castle in the background

#5 - 8/11/2023 - A couple of chipmunks at Bishop Castle grounds

#6 - 8/11/2023 - A chipmunk having a snack on the grounds of Bishop Castle

#7 - 8/11/2023 - Closeup of a chipmunk having a snack on the grounds of Bishop Castle

#8 - 8/11/2023 - One of the many signs on the grounds of Bishop Castle advising us to read all the signs!

#9 -

#10 - 8/11/2023 - The gate and drawbridge at the entrance to the grounds of Bishop Castle. This was added after we had been there in 2014

#11 - 8/11/2023 - A side view of the gate and drawbridge at the entrance to the grounds of Bishop Castle.

#12 - 8/11/2023 - Grammy and Holt at the gate and drawbridge at the entrance to the grounds of Bishop Castle.

#13 - 8/11/2023 - Holt starts the climb into the gate and drawbridge at the entrance to the grounds of Bishop Castle.

#14 - 8/11/2023 - Holt and Grammy climbing up the stairs inside the gate and drawbridge at the entrance to the grounds of Bishop Castle.

#15 - 8/11/2023 - Holt and Grammy on a landing of the stairs inside the gate and drawbridge at the entrance to the grounds of Bishop Castle.

#16 - 8/11/2023 - Holt on a landing of the stairs inside the gate and drawbridge at the entrance to the grounds of Bishop Castle.

#17 - 8/11/2023 - Holt on the grounds of Bishop Castle with the castle in the background.

#18 - 8/11/2023 - Holt and Grammy on the grounds of Bishop Castle with the castle in the background.

#19 - 8/11/2023 - Grampy and Holt on the grounds of Bishop Castle with the castle in the background.

#20 - 8/11/2023 - Grampy, Holt and Grammy on the grounds of Bishop Castle with the castle in the background.

#21 - 8/11/2023 - Grammy and Holt on the platform about to enter one of the rooms on the second floor of Bishop Castle.

#22 - 8/11/2023 - Grammy and Holt inside one of the rooms (note the hole in the floor of the doorway) on the second floor of Bishop Castle.

#23 - 8/11/2023 - Grammy and Holt inside one of the rooms on the second floor of Bishop Castle.

#24 - 8/11/2023 - A couple of people standing on the handmade wrought iron walkway around the third floor of Bishop Castle.

#25 - 8/11/2023 - Three of the towers of Bishop Castle. Note the walkways between them and the large wrought iron globe on the top of the third tower. The public, if brave enough and at their own risk, are welcome to climb up them all!

#26 - 8/11/2023 - A fire breathing dragon extends from the main roof of Bishop Castle. It was built in the mid 1980’s, built on a metal frame, The "scales" are made from riveting thousands of discarded stainless steel food warming plates from the Pueblo County Hospital. This incredible sculpture is perched off of the front of the Grand Ballroom 80 feet in the air!

#27 - 8/11/2023 - A closeup of the dragon atop Bishop Castle.

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#30 - 8/11/2023 - Off to the side on the grounds of Bishop Castle are (l. to r.) a bridge over the creek, a picnic table, and ice cream stand and the gift shop..

#31 - 8/11/2023 - Holt and Grammy sit on a handmade log bench on the front porch of the first level of Bishop Castle.

#32 - 8/11/2023 - Holt and Grammy sit on a handmade log bench on the front porch of the first level of Bishop Castle.

#33 - 8/11/2023 - Holt and Grammy sit on a handmade log bench on the front porch of the first level of Bishop Castle.

#34 - 8/11/2023 - Grampy and Holt sit on a handmade log bench on the front porch of the first level of Bishop Castle.

#35 - 8/11/2023 - Grampy and Holt sit on a handmade log bench on the front porch of the first level of Bishop Castle.

#36 - 8/11/2023 - Grammy and Holt stand in a spiral staircase that goes up one of the towers from the first level of Bishop Castle.

#37 - 8/11/2023 - One of the stained glass windows in the large room on the second level of Bishop Castle.

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#39 - 8/11/2023 - A side view of Bishop Castle. Not sure what the new concrete platform in the foreground is for.

#40 - 8/11/2023 - Closer to the side of Bishop Castle.

#41 - 8/11/2023 - Grammy and Holt stand on the metal walkway around the side of the third level of Bishop Castle.

#42 - 8/11/2023 - Grammy and Holt stand on the metal walkway around the side of the third level of Bishop Castle. Enter the Dragon!

#43 - 8/11/2023 - Grampy, Holt and Grammy stand in the Grand Ballroom on the third level of Bishop Castle.

#44 - 8/11/2023 - Grammy and Holt stand in the Grand Ballroom on the third level of Bishop Castle.

#45 - 8/11/2023 - Grammy and Holt stand in the Grand Ballroom on the third level of Bishop Castle.

#46 - 8/11/2023 - Grammy and Holt stand in a spiral staircase that goes up one of the towers from the Grand Ballroom on the third level of Bishop Castle.

#47 - 8/11/2023 - Grammy and Holt stand in a spiral staircase that goes up one of the towers from the Grand Ballroom on the third level of Bishop Castle.

#48 - 8/11/2023 - Grammy and Holt stand in another spiral staircase that goes up one of the towers from the Grand Ballroom on the third level of Bishop Castle.

#49 - 8/11/2023 - Grammy and Holt stand in another spiral staircase that goes up one of the towers from the Grand Ballroom on the third level of Bishop Castle.

#50 - 8/11/2023 - Grammy and Holt stand in another spiral staircase that goes up one of the towers from the Grand Ballroom on the third level of Bishop Castle.

#51 - 8/11/2023 - Holt standing in the window looking down into the Grand Ballroon in a spiral staircase that goes up one of the towers from the Grand Ballroom on the third level of Bishop Castle.

#52 - 8/11/2023 - A view of the Dragon from the walkway outside the Grand Ballroom on the third level of Bishop Castle.

#53 - 8/11/2023 - A view of the Dragon from the walkway outside the Grand Ballroom on the third level of Bishop Castle.

#54 - 8/11/2023 - A view of the Dragon from the walkway outside the Grand Ballroom on the third level of Bishop Castle.

#55 - 8/11/2023 - A view of the Dragon from the walkway outside the Grand Ballroom on the third level of Bishop Castle.

#56 - 8/11/2023 - A view from inside the Grand Ballroom on the third level of Bishop Castle.

#57 - 8/11/2023 - One of the small stained glass windows in the large room on the second level of Bishop Castle.

#58 - 8/11/2023 - First of a set of three larger stained glass windows in the large room on the second level of Bishop Castle.

#59 - 8/11/2023 - Second of a set of three larger stained glass windows in the large room on the second level of Bishop Castle.

#60 - 8/11/2023 - Third of a set of three larger stained glass windows in the large room on the second level of Bishop Castle.

#61 - 8/11/2023 - Another stained glass window in the large room on the second level of Bishop Castle.

#62 - 8/11/2023 - The Angel stained glass window in the large room on the second level of Bishop Castle.

#63 - 8/11/2023 - Holt stands alongside the Angel stained glass window in the large room on the second level of Bishop Castle.

#64 - 8/11/2023 - A side view of Bishop Castle as a couple of men walk out.

#65 - 8/11/2023 - Dan Bishop, the son of Jim Bishop who started the castle single-handedly over 54 years ago, has taken over the continuing construction of Bishop Castle.

IMG_5273.MP4
#1 - Holt, Grammy and Grampy (behind the iPhone camera) walk around the iron walkway on the third level of Bishop Castle.

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