Our Bank Holiday excursion: Castle Howard

Patrimoine, Yorkshire

Stately homes.  Back in the day, they were home to the landed gentry, and were local employers par excellence, what with large households to cook, clean, furbish and refurbish for, ornamental and vegetable gardens and even farmland to nurture, children to rear and educate, hunting grounds to stock and maintain, guests to cater for.

Nowadays, they’re where the English like to go on a Bank Holiday.  They provide the chance to get a glimpse of other, very different lives, to learn a little history and to enjoy a stroll round gardens on such a different scale from that little patch you potter around back home. And because it’s a Bank Holiday, a little entertainment doesn’t go amiss either.  People arrive in their hundreds, expecting to spend the entire day exploring house and gardens, snacking rather well in one of several tea rooms, mooching round the gift shop and having a little bit of extra fun too.

Castle Howard

Castle Howard

Emily had come over from Barcelona to visit, with boyfriend Miquel in tow.  Castle Howard seemed a good place to spend a day. Thanks to its frequent starring role in TV costume dramas and films, there can be few Brits who aren’t familiar with Castle Howard, even those who haven’t ventured north of Watford Gap.  Me, I’m the ‘Brideshead Revisited’ generation, and back in 1981, Tuesday evenings (I think) were put on hold for weeks and weeks as we turned the television to ITV and followed the Evelyn Waugh saga, feeding our nostalgia for a very different  pre-Second World War Britain.  Castle Howard was pretty much star of the show.

And really, why not? You can read its history here, but just spend a little time strolling round with us, as we re-discovered the parkland; the woodland; the walled gardens; the splendid 19th century Atlas fountain;  The Great Hall – where columns & arches covered with carved decorations rise towards the splendidly painted dome; the chapel decorated by Burne-Jones… and so on.

The cupola
The Atlas fountain
The Atlas fountain.
And yet another view.
Castle Howard glimpsed from the gardens.
Wandering through the woodlands.
First view of the interior of the castle.
Gaze upward to the vaulted ceiling.
A glance through the windows.
From the other side, you can see the lake.
Part of a Crown Derby dinner service. Each plate is different.
Burne-Jones was responsible for the stained glass in the chapel.
Back outside again. The walled garden: not yet at its best.

 

But because we went on a Bank Holiday we had extra things to do.  There were sheep dog displays.  We admired the skill of those so-well-trained dogs as they expertly rounded up not only sheep, but a gaggle of geese and a fussy line of ducks.

Sheep dog rounding up geese for a change.

Sheep dog rounding up geese for a change.

There were falconry displays.  Here is the splendid and majestic Ferruginous Buzzard who made a break for it and got away: last seen in a distant field, regarding us all with thorough disdain.  I hope handler Ben found him again: he was a very handsome beast indeed, as were all the birds of prey we saw that afternoon.

Ferruginous buzzard, contemplating his get-out plan.

Ferruginous buzzard, contemplating his get-out plan.

A final wander round the grounds, the walled garden, then we too made our excuses and left, just before closing time and the mass-escape for the car park.  We’d had a fine day.

A final glance at the parkland surrounding the house.

A final glance at the parkland surrounding the house.

16 thoughts on “Our Bank Holiday excursion: Castle Howard”

  2. Sounds fun! We visited Sledmere House in the Wolds, very disappointing.
    Are you a member of the Historic Houses Association? We’ve just joined and it includes loads of local places (Newby Hall, Ripley and Castle Howard to name just 3). We think it’s an absolute bargain!

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    1. Oooh, I’d never heard of that. What a good idea. We might have to save up though, as NT membership also required… When are you off to America? Soon, isn’t it. Want to see you soon! Loving being a country mouse.

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  3. Leaving tomorrow! Want to see you too – so much to catch up on! Back 20th May.
    Here’s the HHA link – our neighbours told us about it and I’d not heard of it before. You’d only have to visit 3 or 4 to be quids in. I’m interested in seeing Markenfield Hall inside some time this year, having admired the exterior when on various walks.
    http://www.hha.org.uk/

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    1. Right, well if we join, and we well may, introduce us, because you get a freebie book for doing so. We’ll talk after 20th May – have a wonderful time

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  4. How amazing! And it’s hard to believe someone called it home and walked around in bedroom slippers! The Burne-Jones window is spectacular. Well, it all is, really

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    1. Good Lord. I’ve just found that I rudely never replied to this comment from months ago. Bedroom slippers? In a stately ‘ome? Surely not! For all its graciousness, parts of this shouse are really quite homely. Well – sort of.

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  5. well, you already seem to be exploring new places – beautiful countryside – thanks for sharing – I just love it all, annaxxxx

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  6. What a brave soul you are – stately homes on a Bank Holiday! It does look wonderful though. Mind you your new abode looks like a mini version…

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    1. Honestly, it was fine. We’d never have gone, left to ourselves, if The Young hadn’t been so keen. Once we’d got in, which was a bit of a queue, the whole place is on such a grand scale that it absorbed us all effortlessly. We never felt part of a crowd.

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