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What can you say about Castle Howard? It is one of the most stunning places I’ve ever visited and you know I love castles so I’m not saying that lightly! Without a doubt, Castle Howard is one of the brightest jewels in England and is a movie star into the bargain. The castle is more like a sprawling palace set in landscaped gardens and parklands, not far from the city of York itself. I’m in awe of this place, so I’m not sure how much humour you’ll get out of this cruise port, dear cruisers!

Castle Howard was first conceived by Charles Howard, 3rd Earl of Carlisle, around 1699 and it took over 100 years for it to be finally completed. What was even more remarkable, the earl handed over his dream project to a young playwright by the name of John Vanbrugh who had no architect experience whatsoever. The construction began with the east wing which took ten years to complete and the earl became so obsessed with landscaping the gardens that the west wing wasn’t even started by the time both the architect and earl were dead. It would take the lifetime of three earls and numerous architects before the building was finally finished both inside and out. The original plans did not even include the magnificent central dome!

Now, like most magnificent buildings, you aren’t allowed to take photographs inside but the splendour cannot be fully appreciated by shots of the exterior alone. So, with that in mind, I’ve decided to borrow a few photos from Britain Express. For more pictures of the house and gardens, please visit them!

Lady Georgiana’s Bedroom

Antique Passage

The Turquoise Drawing Room

The gardens and park are just as stunning as the house itself and is the perfect place for a picnic. Who remembered the champagne? We may have trouble choosing a spot though because there are over 1,000 acres of garden! These include, the Walled Garden, the Rose Gardens with thousands of different types of roses, the Ornamental Vegetable Gardens, on the south-west side of the house. To the south, we have the formal South Parterre with the Atlas Fountain. To the east, the Ray Wood with its winding paths and the Temple of the Four Winds and the lost Temple of Venus.

Atlas Fountain

Parklands

Temple of the Four Winds

The Mausoleum

In 1940, the castle was badly damaged in a fire that destroyed the central dome and it was left without a roof for almost twenty years until repairs were finally finished. The castle was opened to the public in 1952 to help with conservation costs but it wasn’t until 1982 that the place really captured the public’s imagination after being chosen as the filming location for the famous TV series Brideshead Revisited. There is an exhibition at the castle which celebrates the series and its connection to the castle, including costumes and film props such as Aloysius the teddy bear. A new film version of the series has also just been filmed there for which the house was temporarily closed to the public.

Many other movies and shows have been filmed there, including The Buccaneers (1994), Barry Lyndon (1975), Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties (2006), Twelfth Night (1978) and Lady L (1965).