Castle Howard

Castle Howard is a stately home in North Yorkshire, England, 15 miles (24 km) north of York. One of the grandest private residences in Britain, most of it was built between 1699 and 1712 for the 3rd Earl of Carlisle, to a design by Sir John Vanbrugh. It is not a true castle: The word is often used for English country houses constructed after the castle-building era (c.1500) and not intended for a military function.

Castle Howard has been the home of part of the Howard family for more than 300 years. It is familiar to television and movie audiences as the fictional "Brideshead", both in Granada Television's 1981 adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited and a two-hour 2008 remake for theatres. Today, it is part of the Treasure Houses of England heritage group.

House

in 1725. Some details, including the West Wing, were not built. Click on the image for an explanation.]]

The 3rd Earl of Carlisle first spoke to William Talman, a leading architect, but commissioned Vanbrugh, a fellow member of the Kit-Cat Club, to design the building. Castle Howard was that gentleman-dilettante's first foray into architecture, but he was assisted by Nicholas Hawksmoor.

Vanbrugh's design evolved into a Baroque structure with two projecting wings symmetrically on either side of a north-south axis. The crowning central dome was added to the design at a late stage, after building had begun. Construction began at the east end, with the East Wing constructed from 1701–1703, the east end of the Garden Front from 1701 to 1706, the Central Block (including dome) from 1703 to 1706, and the west end of the Garden Front from 1707-1709. All are exuberantly decorated in Baroque style, with coronets, cherubs, urns and cyphers, with Doric pilasters on the north front and Corinthian on the South. Many interiors were decorated by Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini.

West Wing which was built in the mid-18th century.]]

The Earl then turned his energies to the surrounding garden and grounds. Although the complete design is shown in the third volume of Colen Campbell's Vitruvius Britannicus, published in 1725, the West Wing was not completed (indeed, not even started) when Vanbrugh died in 1726, despite his remonstration with the Earl. The house remained incomplete on the death of the 3rd Earl in 1738, but construction finally started at the direction of the 4th Earl. However, Vanbrugh's design was not completed: the West Wing was built in a contrasting Palladian style to a design by the 3rd Earl's son-in-law, Sir Thomas Robinson. The new wing remained incomplete, with no first floor or roof, at the death of the 4th Earl in 1758; although a roof had been added, the interior remained undecorated by the death of Robinson in 1777. Rooms were completed stage by stage over the following decades, but the whole was not complete until 1811.

A large part of the house was destroyed by fire which broke out on 9 November 1940, including the central dome. Most but not all of the devastated rooms have been restored over the following decades. The house has been open to the public since 1952.

Gardens

Castle Howard has extensive and diverse gardens. There is a large formal garden immediately behind the house. The house is prominently situated on a ridge and this was exploited to create a landscape garden, which opens out from the formal garden and merges with the park.

Two major garden buildings are set into this landscape: the Temple of the Four Winds at the end of the garden, and the Mausoleum in the park. There is also a lake on either side of the house. There is an arboretum called Ray Wood, and the walled garden contains decorative rose and flower gardens. Further buildings outside the preserved gardens include the ruined Pyramid currently undergoing restoration, an Obelisk and several follies and eyecatchers in the form of fortifications. A John Vanbrugh ornamental pillar known as the Quatre Faces stands in nearby Pretty Wood.

There is also a separate 127 acre (514,000 m²) arboretum called Kew at Castle Howard, which is close to the house and garden, but has separate entrance arrangements. Planting began in 1975, with the intention of creating one of the most important collections of specimen trees in the United Kingdom. The landscape is more open than that of Ray Wood, and the planting remains immature. It is now a joint venture between Castle Howard and Kew Gardens and is managed by a charity called the Castle Howard Arboretum Trust, which was established in 1997. It was opened to the public for the first time in 1999. A new visitor centre opened in 2006.

The grounds of Castle Howard are also used as part of at least two charity running races during the year.

Listed buildings

The house is Grade I listed and there are many other listed structures on the estate, several of which are on the Buildings at Risk Register.


Castle Howard as film location

In addition to "Brideshead", Castle Howard has stood in for a number of cinematic and television settings:

  • Lady L (1965) with Sophia Loren, David Niven, Paul Newman, directed by Peter Ustinov
  • Lady Lyndon's estate in Stanley Kubrick's 1975 movie Barry Lyndon (exteriors)
  • '
  • Brideshead Revisited 2008 film
  • The Buccaneers 1995 film

Trivia

  • Castle Howard served as a model for a Department 56 piece called Ramsford Palace.
  • Celebrity Chef James Martin worked the kitchens aged 10 when his father was Catering Manager at Castle Howard.

See also

  • Hampton National Historic Site, an 18th century U.S. mansion said to have been inspired by Castle Howard.

External links

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Welcome to Yorkshire
12 March 2015
One of England’s most beautiful houses, Castle Howard is a magnificent house that sits in a landscape of rolling hills and unexpected monuments in the Howardian Hills. Truly stunning.
Benjamin ????
8 August 2014
Certainly worth a visit! Don't make this visit an afterthought on a busy day of sightseeing. Do yourself a favor and leave time to enjoy the gardens and take it all in.
Anna Lupton
23 September 2011
Amazing place. Also they open for few weeks around Christmas time. For children they do a real good Santa. Also good butchers here- meet is from farm on the estate Don/Michael Farghers
Ann Phillips
5 December 2015
The Xmas Decorations are quite Magical and a great time of the Year to see it!
Ben Smith
11 December 2015
The audience with Father Christmas was brilliant. My little boy loved it. Be sure to book early because it sells out quick.
Carl Griffin
27 December 2015
Famous as the setting for TV drama Brideshead Revisited. One of the world's most beautiful buildings.
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Visitor Centre, Castle Howard, York YO60 7DA, UK Get directions
Wed-Fri 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Sat 10:00 AM–6:00 PM
Sun 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Mon 10:00 AM–5:00 PM

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