TV can take you behind the scenes at one of our most impressive stately homes — but nothing beats seeing Castle Howard for yourself…
Castle Howard: Through the Seasons Saturday 8.00pm C4
ALICIA MILLER - 16 November 2022
On the rain-slicked road ahead a stone wall appears – grand and crenellated, crowned with an archway. I rush to snap a photo as my taxi whizzes through, but I needn’t have bothered. A far more impressive parade is to come. A towering gatehouse; a soaring obelisk; and, eventually, defying the thick fog, a sprawling gold-stone figure: Castle Howard. For more than 300 years this Yorkshire stately home has been among Britain’s most celebrated.
Constructed by a series of earls in an incongruous blend of English Baroque and Palladian architecture, it draws scores of visitors for its ornate halls, rich antiquities collection and preserved gardens. But the ancestral home of the Howard family (who still live here today) has another brag: it’s a screen star. Castle Howard first played a supporting act to Sophia Loren in the 1965 film Lady L, but shot to fame with Brideshead Revisited in 1981 and 2008. Recently, it hosted the naughty scenes in Bridgerton. Now it’s starring in its own four-part series, Castle Howard: Through the Seasons, that charts life behind the scenes. An hour after I’ve arrived, fuelled by a creamy haddock pie from the courtyard café, I’m touring the west wing with Eleanor Brooke-Peat, the collections curator – one of many staff who appear in the series, along with house owners Nick and Victoria Howard.
As she whisks me through the vast Roman sculpture collection and towards the magnificent Arts and Crafts chapel, she points out some of the urgently needed restoration works highlighted in the series. Everything from leaky ceilings (today’s rain is not helping) to smoke damaged frescos from a devastating fire in the 1940s needs addressing – at a combined cost of around £50 million. “It really is a case of painting the Forth Bridge,” says Eleanor, as we pass through a gutted stone-lined room, earmarked for rejuvenation in the next couple of years. Castle Howard relies on tourism to fund its works – earnings are continually reinvested into the estate – so restoration projects must always consider the impact on the visitor experience. As an example, when some bedrooms were closed for work earlier this year, the family’s private library was opened as a substitute.
“Sometimes Mr Howard sits here working on his laptop as guests wander through,” Eleanor laughs. The house itself is only one part of the 8,800-acre Castle Howard estate and its restoration only part of the to-do list. The landscaped gardens – home to ancient woods, idyllic lakes and manicured lawns – are beautiful, too. But the crumbling, centuries-old follies and mausoleums come with their own upkeeping challenges. I’m shown around by head gardener Alistair Gunn, who appears in episode one wrangling a troublesome peacock (many roam the grounds, but today they’re cowering from the rain by the ticket office). He tells me about the parties that were held centuries ago at the Temple of the Four Winds; shows me pigs in the forest (“They’ll be for sale in our farm shop come Christmas”); and describes removing overgrown plantings to restore original estate sightlines. It’s easy to imagine how pleasant it would be to settle down with a picnic by the lake on a summer’s day – something many visitors do.
By the time I reach my room for the night in the village of Coneysthorpe, I’ve worked up an appetite. You can’t currently stay in Castle Howard itself, but there is self-catering on the estate and in my cottage, The Green, I fry up juicy lamb from the farm shop. Then, curled up with an OS map by my lounge’s wood-burner, I start planning tomorrow – because walking is Castle Howard’s third big draw. A series of paths cut through the Howardian Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, taking in limestone towns, cow-studded fields, vistas of Castle Howard’s impressive structures. My only trouble is deciding which route to do.
MAKE A WEEKEND OF IT
If you’re a keen walker, you could spend days exploring around Castle Howard. But with York so close – easily accessible on the CastleLine bus (transdevbus.co.uk) – it makes sense to pair a visit with one of England’s prettiest cities. Especially when the weather is wet. Deposited in the centre, I strike out first to York Minster with its epic stained-glass windows. The cavernous nave and chiselled Chapter House should be enough medieval history to satiate, but it’s just the beginning in this city. I carry on to the neighbouring National Trust Treasurer’s House, 14th-century Merchant Adventurers’ Hall and timber-beamed Barley Hall. I scale the city walls, catching glimpses of historic rooftops, and skirt the River Ouse as a kayaker paddles by. I squeeze down past crowds on cobbled shopping street The Shambles, seemingly plucked straight from Harry Potter, though I skip the long queues for the cult shops. But there is one line I will endure: Betty’s Café Tea Rooms. Under an umbrella, I wait patiently for a seat in this classic cosy cake shop for a nibble before my return bus to Castle Howard. Eventually, I settle in with a warm, fruit-studded Fat Rascal scone (their speciality) and a strong tea. I can’t help but think that, despite the rain – or is that thanks to it? – I’ve got my Yorkshire break just right.
On the rain-slicked road ahead a stone wall appears – grand and crenellated, crowned with an archway. I rush to snap a photo as my taxi whizzes through, but I needn’t have bothered. A far more impressive parade is to come. A towering gatehouse; a soaring obelisk; and, eventually, defying the thick fog, a sprawling gold-stone figure: Castle Howard. For more than 300 years this Yorkshire stately home has been among Britain’s most celebrated.
Constructed by a series of earls in an incongruous blend of English Baroque and Palladian architecture, it draws scores of visitors for its ornate halls, rich antiquities collection and preserved gardens. But the ancestral home of the Howard family (who still live here today) has another brag: it’s a screen star. Castle Howard first played a supporting act to Sophia Loren in the 1965 film Lady L, but shot to fame with Brideshead Revisited in 1981 and 2008. Recently, it hosted the naughty scenes in Bridgerton. Now it’s starring in its own four-part series, Castle Howard: Through the Seasons, that charts life behind the scenes. An hour after I’ve arrived, fuelled by a creamy haddock pie from the courtyard café, I’m touring the west wing with Eleanor Brooke-Peat, the collections curator – one of many staff who appear in the series, along with house owners Nick and Victoria Howard.
As she whisks me through the vast Roman sculpture collection and towards the magnificent Arts and Crafts chapel, she points out some of the urgently needed restoration works highlighted in the series. Everything from leaky ceilings (today’s rain is not helping) to smoke damaged frescos from a devastating fire in the 1940s needs addressing – at a combined cost of around £50 million. “It really is a case of painting the Forth Bridge,” says Eleanor, as we pass through a gutted stone-lined room, earmarked for rejuvenation in the next couple of years. Castle Howard relies on tourism to fund its works – earnings are continually reinvested into the estate – so restoration projects must always consider the impact on the visitor experience. As an example, when some bedrooms were closed for work earlier this year, the family’s private library was opened as a substitute.
“Sometimes Mr Howard sits here working on his laptop as guests wander through,” Eleanor laughs. The house itself is only one part of the 8,800-acre Castle Howard estate and its restoration only part of the to-do list. The landscaped gardens – home to ancient woods, idyllic lakes and manicured lawns – are beautiful, too. But the crumbling, centuries-old follies and mausoleums come with their own upkeeping challenges. I’m shown around by head gardener Alistair Gunn, who appears in episode one wrangling a troublesome peacock (many roam the grounds, but today they’re cowering from the rain by the ticket office). He tells me about the parties that were held centuries ago at the Temple of the Four Winds; shows me pigs in the forest (“They’ll be for sale in our farm shop come Christmas”); and describes removing overgrown plantings to restore original estate sightlines. It’s easy to imagine how pleasant it would be to settle down with a picnic by the lake on a summer’s day – something many visitors do.
By the time I reach my room for the night in the village of Coneysthorpe, I’ve worked up an appetite. You can’t currently stay in Castle Howard itself, but there is self-catering on the estate and in my cottage, The Green, I fry up juicy lamb from the farm shop. Then, curled up with an OS map by my lounge’s wood-burner, I start planning tomorrow – because walking is Castle Howard’s third big draw. A series of paths cut through the Howardian Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, taking in limestone towns, cow-studded fields, vistas of Castle Howard’s impressive structures. My only trouble is deciding which route to do.
MAKE A WEEKEND OF IT
If you’re a keen walker, you could spend days exploring around Castle Howard. But with York so close – easily accessible on the CastleLine bus (transdevbus.co.uk) – it makes sense to pair a visit with one of England’s prettiest cities. Especially when the weather is wet. Deposited in the centre, I strike out first to York Minster with its epic stained-glass windows. The cavernous nave and chiselled Chapter House should be enough medieval history to satiate, but it’s just the beginning in this city. I carry on to the neighbouring National Trust Treasurer’s House, 14th-century Merchant Adventurers’ Hall and timber-beamed Barley Hall. I scale the city walls, catching glimpses of historic rooftops, and skirt the River Ouse as a kayaker paddles by. I squeeze down past crowds on cobbled shopping street The Shambles, seemingly plucked straight from Harry Potter, though I skip the long queues for the cult shops. But there is one line I will endure: Betty’s Café Tea Rooms. Under an umbrella, I wait patiently for a seat in this classic cosy cake shop for a nibble before my return bus to Castle Howard. Eventually, I settle in with a warm, fruit-studded Fat Rascal scone (their speciality) and a strong tea. I can’t help but think that, despite the rain – or is that thanks to it? – I’ve got my Yorkshire break just right.
ALICIA MILLER