Castle Howard

History

Vanbrugh had no prior architectural experience when the 3rd Earl of Carlisle commissioned him, and the build ran for well over a century, drawing in Nicholas Hawksmoor to help complete parts of the design. The Howard family, still based in the Carlisle branch, has held the house continuously since it was built. A fire in 1940 destroyed the central dome and much of the south-east wing, and restoration work continued for decades afterwards.

Architecture

The house is a landmark of English Baroque architecture, Vanbrugh's first major commission, with later contributions from Nicholas Hawksmoor. Its dominant feature is the central dome over the Great Hall, rebuilt after fire damage in the twentieth century.

Worth knowing

Castle Howard played the role of Brideshead in Granada Television's 1981 adaptation of Brideshead Revisited and again in the 2008 film version, cementing its identity in the public imagination beyond its own history.

Gardens & grounds

The gardens combine a formal Baroque layout between two lakes with the Temple of Four Winds, the Cascade and a Walled Garden known for its rose collections.