Castle Howard Castles

Castle Howard is one of Britain's finest stately homes, located in the beautiful Howardian Hills, fifteen miles northeast of the famous city of York.

Built in 1699, Castle Howard is, today, still the private home of the Howard family. As a major tourist attraction the house receives hundreds of thousands of visitors annually from all over the world, who come to enjoy a variety of delights.

There is the magnificent house itself, built by the architect Sir John Vanbrugh, and distinguished by its famous dome.

Indoors there are enormous collections of art treasures that include important paintings by Canaletto, Holbein, Gainsborough and Reynolds, a magnificent collection of antique sculpture, and the porcelain collections include a spectacular Crown Derby botanical dessert service.

Outdoors there are temples, lead statues and a startling array of monuments.

Ray Wood is filled with one of the finest collections of rhododendrons in the world.

The lakes, fountains and waterways have all recently been restored to full working order, and are a delight to see and hear when playing.

The Rose Gardens are planted with thousands of old and new roses of all types.

Attractions for children include an adventure playground, and boat trips on the Great Lake.

There are two gift shops and three cafeterias located inside the house, at the Stable Block, and at the Boathouse.

Throughout the season special events include outdoor concerts and other exciting spectacles.

But Castle Howard is much more than a stately home; it is also a working estate of some 10,000 acres. Farming, forestry, fishing, shooting, a caravan park, and residential and commercial let properties are among the thriving businesses that help to support the estate, as well as a tree nursery and plant centre offering top-quality trees and plants. There are also facilities for corporate entertaining inside the house, and Castle Howard has been used as a film and television location on many occasions.

In addition to maintaining the house and grounds, and continually improving the visitors' facilities, there is a strategic programme of restoration work, which ranges from small items such as paintings or furniture indoors, to larger projects such as the fabric of the house itself, the lead statues in the grounds, the garden buildings and other monuments across the estate.

All of this work signals our dedication to preserving this unique and priceless heritage for future generations to be able to visit and enjoy.

Come and see it for yourself.