England Guide
Yorkshire
Castle Howard
Opening time: March– Oct and late Nov to mid-Dec daily 11am–5pm; gardens open at 10am
Price: £10; grounds only £7.50
Address: 15 miles northeast of York off the A64 (Yorkshire Coastliner bus or summer Moorsbus)
Website: www.castlehoward.co.uk
Immersed in the deep countryside of the Howardian Hills, Castle Howard is the seat of one of England's leading aristocratic families and among the country's grandest stately homes. It's a pricey visit, but there's no question that it's worth seeing, the grounds especially, and you could easily spend the best part of a day here.
The colossal main house was designed by Sir John Vanbrugh in 1699 and was almost forty years in the making – remarkable enough, even were it not for the fact that Vanbrugh was, at the start of the commission at least, best known as a playwright and had no formal architectural training. Shrewdly, Vanbrugh recognized his limitations and called upon the assistance of Nicholas Hawksmoor, who had a major part in the house's structural design – the pair later worked successfully together on Blenheim Palace.
Vanbrugh also turned his attention to the estate's thousand-acre grounds, where he could indulge his playful inclinations – the formal gardens, clipped parkland, towers, obelisks and blunt sandstone follies stretch in all directions, sloping gently to two artificial lakes. The whole is a charming artifice of grand, manicured views – an example of what three centuries, skilled gardeners and pots of money can produce. Free outdoor tours concentrate on aspects of the house and garden. The annual outdoor Proms concert every August is also popular.