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Castle Howard
Watch VideoMore palatial than fortress-like, Castle Howard was built for the third Earl of Carlisle by Sir John Vanbrugh - the project before he embarked on the creation of Blenheim Palace.
The entrance hall is an impressive marble affair, which leads into room after room displaying an impressive collection of furnishings, ornaments and paintings by the likes of Canaletto, Reynolds and Van Dyke and statues.
All this is complemented by world-class gardens adorned with fountains, statues and temples.
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Castle Howard's association with arboreal cultivation goes back to the early 18th century, when Ray Wood was modelled into a naturalistic garden full of winding paths. The wood fell into decline after World War II but it was revived during the 1960s by James Russell, a leading horticulturalist. In 1975, Russell and Castle Howard's then-owner, George Howard, began work on a new arboretum, conceived as one of the most comprehensive collections of woody plants in Europe.
Thinking Big
Starting an arboretum is an ambitious undertaking. Russell and Howard knew they would never live to see the fruits of their labours. But, thanks to their vision, Castle Howard's arboretum is now home to around 6,500 different types of plants. Head Arborist Neil Batty looks after a collection that includes many rare specimens from Britain and all over the world. Among the highlights are plants from remote parts of western China. Russell collected these samples in 1985, during a groundbreaking joint expedition with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. From 1997, the arboretum has been administered jointly by Castle Howard and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
The grand façade of Castle Howard and its grounds were the talking point of 18th-century society. Started by Charles Howard, the 3rd Earl of Carlisle, the house took more than 25 years to complete, and was designed to run north-south (rather than the usual east-west) to make the best of the wonderful Yorkshire views.
Theatrical flourish
The Baroque flamboyance was down to John Vanbrugh, a theatre man with no architectural experience who was employed to design it. Luckily Vanbrugh had enough sense to bring in Nicholas Hawksmoor (assistant to Christopher Wren) who could actually translate his designs into reality.
Spectacular scenery
Together Carlisle, Vanbrugh and Hawksmoor created a park and landscape to equal the grandeur of the house. It was a landscape designed to be viewed from the back of a horse, not on foot! The three-mile approach to the house is lined with beech and lime trees and the 1,000 acre grounds are scattered with monuments to amaze the visitor - including the Mausoleum, which was as big as one of Christopher Wren's churches and of which Horace Walpole said: 'it would tempt one to be buried alive!'
Lead figures
Lord Carlisle was a great collector of lead statuary. Lead was commercially produced in England from the early 18th century and between the 1720s and '40s he commissioned 30 pieces. Those that survive today include Apollo, Venus, Bacchus, Hercules, a gladiator and four Roman Empresses. Repaired, reassembled and cleaned there are 18 figures still on show.
The classics
The Pyramid and the Temple of the Four Winds are references to Classic Greece and Egypt, a very popular device in 18th-century England. The temple was originally called the Temple of Diana and beneath it is a cellar where servants stored and prepared food for outdoor parties. It has views to the north to the Temple of Venus which collapsed in the 1940s but which will hopefully be rebuilt.
Waterways
All of the lakes and rivers have been dug out, widened and diverted to create an array of water features. From a reservoir in Ray Wood, water is pumped downhill to power the jets in the Atlas Fountain in the walled former kitchen gardens. These were redesigned in 1850 by WA Nesfield with a figure of Atlas supported by Tritons.
Feature supplied by Heritage magazine. About Heritage Magazine.
The House, built by Sir John Vanbrugh, sits in 1,000 acres of dramatic gardens, where visitors can discover hidden temples, statues, lakes and fountains, as well as explore the winding paths of Ray Wood and enjoy the walled gardens, with their scented rose gardens and unusual ornamental vegetable garden, designed by Head Gardener Brian Deighton.
Family attractions
Castle Howard is an ideal place for families with young children, boasting 1,000 acres of gardens to play and run around in. A land train carries visitors to the lake where families can enjoy the adventure playground, a boat trip or a snack at the lakeside café. In school holidays, children's adventure trails and activity workshops add to the family fun.
Tours and exhibitions
Daily outdoor tours explore the hidden secrets of Castle Howard, from the 1940 fire, to why a playwright was chosen to build the house. Guides take tours to the Temple of the Four Winds, going behind the scenes with a peek inside the temple.
The south-east wing, damaged in the 1940 fire, houses an exhibition, Maids and Mistresses, telling the story of the women of Castle Howard.
The Cabinet Room hosts a series of new exhibitions for 2007. From 1 March to 3 June there is an exhibition on William Morris and Castle Howard; from 11 June to 2 September an exhibition looks at Henry VIII, Holbein and the Howards; from 10 September to 4 November there will be a display of contemporary paintings by Carl Laubin, commissioned by the Hon. Simon Howard.
Eating and shopping
Castle Howard has four cafés and six shops. The newly developed Stable Courtyard is home to the Plant Centre, Chocolate Shop, Gift Shop, Book Shop, Farm Shop and Courtyard Café. The latter two won the 2006 gold award in Visit Britain's Enjoy England Excellence Award in the Taste of England category.
At our award-winning Courtyard Café we give pride of place to quality local food, with much of it sourced from our Farm Shop. A full and varied menu features seasonal dishes and specials, and all dishes are prepared fresh to order by our team of chefs.
Head Butcher Paul Nicholson and his team select and prepare meat and poultry, most of which is sourced within a 15 mile radius of Castle Howard. Meat is chosen to exacting specifications and includes favourites such as Castle Howard Estate Reared Aberdeen Angus and Game. Our delicatessen offers a wide choice of Yorkshire cheeses, meats and pies which taste great with our range of preserves and pickles.
Our popular Plant Centre sells a comprehensive range of plants, trees and shrubs, many of which are estate-grown. Customers can also choose from a range of garden related gifts and accessories including furniture, statues, stoneware, water features, gardening equipment, outdoor clothing and much more. Our experienced and knowledgeable staff are always on hand to give you the best advice to get the most from your purchases.
- Behind The Scenes: Saving the Trees
- The History of Castle Howard Gardens
- Highlights from Castle Howard
Behind The Scenes: Saving the Trees
Woodland WalksCastle Howard's association with arboreal cultivation goes back to the early 18th century, when Ray Wood was modelled into a naturalistic garden full of winding paths. The wood fell into decline after World War II but it was revived during the 1960s by James Russell, a leading horticulturalist. In 1975, Russell and Castle Howard's then-owner, George Howard, began work on a new arboretum, conceived as one of the most comprehensive collections of woody plants in Europe.
Thinking Big
Starting an arboretum is an ambitious undertaking. Russell and Howard knew they would never live to see the fruits of their labours. But, thanks to their vision, Castle Howard's arboretum is now home to around 6,500 different types of plants. Head Arborist Neil Batty looks after a collection that includes many rare specimens from Britain and all over the world. Among the highlights are plants from remote parts of western China. Russell collected these samples in 1985, during a groundbreaking joint expedition with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. From 1997, the arboretum has been administered jointly by Castle Howard and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
The History of Castle Howard Gardens
Talk of the townThe grand façade of Castle Howard and its grounds were the talking point of 18th-century society. Started by Charles Howard, the 3rd Earl of Carlisle, the house took more than 25 years to complete, and was designed to run north-south (rather than the usual east-west) to make the best of the wonderful Yorkshire views.
Theatrical flourish
The Baroque flamboyance was down to John Vanbrugh, a theatre man with no architectural experience who was employed to design it. Luckily Vanbrugh had enough sense to bring in Nicholas Hawksmoor (assistant to Christopher Wren) who could actually translate his designs into reality.
Spectacular scenery
Together Carlisle, Vanbrugh and Hawksmoor created a park and landscape to equal the grandeur of the house. It was a landscape designed to be viewed from the back of a horse, not on foot! The three-mile approach to the house is lined with beech and lime trees and the 1,000 acre grounds are scattered with monuments to amaze the visitor - including the Mausoleum, which was as big as one of Christopher Wren's churches and of which Horace Walpole said: 'it would tempt one to be buried alive!'
Lead figures
Lord Carlisle was a great collector of lead statuary. Lead was commercially produced in England from the early 18th century and between the 1720s and '40s he commissioned 30 pieces. Those that survive today include Apollo, Venus, Bacchus, Hercules, a gladiator and four Roman Empresses. Repaired, reassembled and cleaned there are 18 figures still on show.
The classics
The Pyramid and the Temple of the Four Winds are references to Classic Greece and Egypt, a very popular device in 18th-century England. The temple was originally called the Temple of Diana and beneath it is a cellar where servants stored and prepared food for outdoor parties. It has views to the north to the Temple of Venus which collapsed in the 1940s but which will hopefully be rebuilt.
Waterways
All of the lakes and rivers have been dug out, widened and diverted to create an array of water features. From a reservoir in Ray Wood, water is pumped downhill to power the jets in the Atlas Fountain in the walled former kitchen gardens. These were redesigned in 1850 by WA Nesfield with a figure of Atlas supported by Tritons.
Feature supplied by Heritage magazine. About Heritage Magazine.
Highlights from Castle Howard
Castle Howard is one of Britain's most beautiful historic houses, visited by over 200,000 people a year. Visitors can explore the eighteenth century palace with its soaring dome, and learn about the 1940 fire that destroyed so much of the House.The House, built by Sir John Vanbrugh, sits in 1,000 acres of dramatic gardens, where visitors can discover hidden temples, statues, lakes and fountains, as well as explore the winding paths of Ray Wood and enjoy the walled gardens, with their scented rose gardens and unusual ornamental vegetable garden, designed by Head Gardener Brian Deighton.
Family attractions
Castle Howard is an ideal place for families with young children, boasting 1,000 acres of gardens to play and run around in. A land train carries visitors to the lake where families can enjoy the adventure playground, a boat trip or a snack at the lakeside café. In school holidays, children's adventure trails and activity workshops add to the family fun.
Tours and exhibitions
Daily outdoor tours explore the hidden secrets of Castle Howard, from the 1940 fire, to why a playwright was chosen to build the house. Guides take tours to the Temple of the Four Winds, going behind the scenes with a peek inside the temple.
The south-east wing, damaged in the 1940 fire, houses an exhibition, Maids and Mistresses, telling the story of the women of Castle Howard.
The Cabinet Room hosts a series of new exhibitions for 2007. From 1 March to 3 June there is an exhibition on William Morris and Castle Howard; from 11 June to 2 September an exhibition looks at Henry VIII, Holbein and the Howards; from 10 September to 4 November there will be a display of contemporary paintings by Carl Laubin, commissioned by the Hon. Simon Howard.
Eating and shopping
Castle Howard has four cafés and six shops. The newly developed Stable Courtyard is home to the Plant Centre, Chocolate Shop, Gift Shop, Book Shop, Farm Shop and Courtyard Café. The latter two won the 2006 gold award in Visit Britain's Enjoy England Excellence Award in the Taste of England category.
At our award-winning Courtyard Café we give pride of place to quality local food, with much of it sourced from our Farm Shop. A full and varied menu features seasonal dishes and specials, and all dishes are prepared fresh to order by our team of chefs.
Head Butcher Paul Nicholson and his team select and prepare meat and poultry, most of which is sourced within a 15 mile radius of Castle Howard. Meat is chosen to exacting specifications and includes favourites such as Castle Howard Estate Reared Aberdeen Angus and Game. Our delicatessen offers a wide choice of Yorkshire cheeses, meats and pies which taste great with our range of preserves and pickles.
Our popular Plant Centre sells a comprehensive range of plants, trees and shrubs, many of which are estate-grown. Customers can also choose from a range of garden related gifts and accessories including furniture, statues, stoneware, water features, gardening equipment, outdoor clothing and much more. Our experienced and knowledgeable staff are always on hand to give you the best advice to get the most from your purchases.
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