Exploring England #33
In the 1981 television adaptation of Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited, Brideshead Castle is home to the fictional and fabulously wealthy Flyte family. In reality, the magnificent building which stars in the series is Yorkshire’s Castle Howard, one of the largest country houses in England. Belonging to the Howard family since the 18th century, Castle Howard is not really a castle, but a stately home built where a military castle once stood. Filled with statuary, paintings and a wealth of precious objects, the house is one of the ten Treasure Houses of England.
Ticketed entry to the house allows us to wander at our own pace from one elegant room to the next, where friendly household staff tell us stories about this beautiful home. In the Antique Passage, we see treasures collected by generations of the Howard family while on their grand tours of Europe. We marvel at the workmanship in the Chapel, the collection of family portraits in the Turquoise Drawing Room and the dome of the Great Hall, restored after a devastating fire in 1940.
Castle Howard is surrounded by 1, 000 acres of lush parkland, ornamental lakes and fountains, gardens and woodlands. Gilded gates lead into the 18th century walled garden where roses, fuchsias and an abundance of annuals grow alongside beds filled with edible plants destined for the family kitchen.
Beyond the garden we stroll along the shaded Lime Walk to the Atlas Fountain, where gods of the sea serenade Atlas as he holds up the sky.
At South Lake, the Prince of Wales Fountain plays elegantly over the water while the Shepherd Boy keeps watch.
At the end of Temple Terrace stands the elegant Temple of the Four Winds, while in the distance New River Bridge leads to the private family mausoleum.
In Ray Wood, sunlight shining through the trees dapples the wide path. Birds sing but remain unseen as they stay hidden in the leaves.
At the Boathouse CafƩ, we enjoy a delicious lunch on the shores of Great Lake.
All the time we’ve been at Castle Howard I’ve almost expected to meet the family; not the Howards but the Flytes – Julia, elegantly lounging by the fountain, Cordelia sitting quietly in a window seat or Sebastian, with his teddy bear, Aloysius. They’re nowhere to be seen, but I’m sure I feel their presence.
Thank you for sharing and reviving memories.
Perhaps somebody is interested in these pictures of Castle Howard, too.
https://achim-spengler.com/?s=Castle+Howard&x=0&y=0
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I’m glad you enjoyed another visit with me, Achim. Your photos are quite lovely and you had a beautiful sunny day there. When we went, it was quite overcast for much of the day.
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We had some marvellous weather, indeed š
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It was also used for scenes of the series Victoria, on the life of Queen Victoria (also an excellent program!)
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That’s interesting, Denzil. I must look it up.
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Growing up in France I always had a fantasy of one day acquiring one of those large former castles and returning it to it’s former grandeur. Both England and France and no doubt, Italy and perhaps Germany have a plethora of grand mansions/castles but the unfortunate reality is that the cost of upkeep of these architectural beauties is so exorbitant as to make it nearly impossible to continue maintaining these historic buildings.
The four wings pavilion at the end of the stroll looks particularly attractive as do the gorgeous gardens. Beautiful photos, thanks for sharing!
Ben
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Maintenance costs must be incredible and I didn’t mind paying to enter. We certainly got our money’s worth and spent a whole day here. I also felt it was great to see how many local people are employed in the grounds and house. The Temple of the Four Winds was quite beautiful but we weren’t able to go inside as it is very fragile. We were told it was used in the past as a place for rest and reading! How genteel.
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What a magnificent place to walk round. I loved Brideshead Revisited so would, like you, have hoped to meet some of the characters as I looked round. š
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This was one destination that was definitely on my list. One interesting display was all about the making of both TV series. In one wing of the house which was damaged by the fire in the 1940s, it has never been properly restored due to the high cost. That part became the sets for the show and they’ve kept it that way. It was fascinating.
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That sounds really interesting – I love any opportunity for learning about ‘behind the scenes’.
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Such a magnificent home. Thanks for our photographic tour. Beautiful gardens. Imagine the stories told by the staff were interesting. Thanks for sharing.
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It was really good to hear the stories behind the scenes. The gardens were certainly a highlight of the day.
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Does the family still live there? It must cost a fortune to simply keep clean! It certainly is a wonder though – how the other 1% live š
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Yes, the family does live there. It would be very expensive to maintain. I was very impressed by how much employment this house provides for the surrounding area – gardeners and staff for the parts visitors see. It must be a big boost to the local economy.
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I also visited Castle Howard with memories of Brideshead accompanying me. It was used in the recent film too, but I didn’t think that was anything like as good. The TV series was mesmerising and I still can’t hear Jeremy Irons’ voice without a shiver.
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I agree, Anabel. The original series was the best.
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Look at those gorgeously lush gardens!
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Lorraine, the gardens were wonderful and so inspiring.
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What an amazing tour you had. I must admit I might not have gotten inside with such beautiful grounds to explore. Once explored, I might have wanted a bench to sit on and contemplate the meaning of life. Thank you for taking us along on these explorations. š
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Judy, we did actually do the grounds and garden first because rain was forecast. It didn’t end up raining so we had plenty of time to enjoy the garden. Then we did the house in the afternoon. It was a really enjoyable day.
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It’s fabulous, isn’t it, Carol? You did it justice here. I enjoyed looking over your shoulder and remembering. š š Must be nearing the end of your UK tour. Where next, I wonder?
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I’m getting close to the end now, Jo. My next post features a lovely afternoon with a certain walking friend. š
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Oh, my! Seems years ago! š š
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What a beautiful setting. And as you described so elegant. The mausoleum is so grand.
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We weren’t allowed to see inside the mausoleum but it was beautiful from the outside and in such a glorious setting.
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Such a lovely trip! Beautiful captivating photos too!
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It was the best day. I loved the house and the garden, Sophie.
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It looks so lovely!
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I’ve never seen Brideshead Revisited. Is it good? The house and gardens and fountains are amazing. I especially love those fancy columns in the house. I love visiting places where you can imagine the residents living there, even if they’re fictional. š
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There is a book and two different TV series have been made. I love the story. The columns were in the family chapel, which was all lavishly decorated.
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