Castle Howard
Castle Howard is considered by many to be one of the finest country houses in Britain and it has been the home of the Howard family for generations. It was designed by for the 3rd Earl of Carlisle by Sir John Vanburgh. This was a surprising choice as Vanburgh was a famous playwright who had never designed a house before, but Nicholas Hawksmoor ably assisted him. Building work began in 1699, but was not finished for another 100 years, with the interior taking even longer to complete. The famous dome was the first to be erected on a private home in England. It was also the casualty of a fire in 1940, when it was completely destroyed, along with 20 other rooms. For over 20 years, the great Hall was open to the elements until the dome was restored in the early 1960s

Castle Howard: BU02452a

Visitors to Castle Howard: BU02488

Harewood House: PH109-21



Harewood House: BU09418

Castle Howard with visible fire damage: BU02471a

Castle Howard after restoration: BU02457

Harewood House
Harewood House was created by an impressive array of eighteenth century designers and craftsmen. Edwin Lascelles asked John Carr of York to design his new house at Harewood. He was later joined by the up-and-coming Robert Adam, who created most of the interiors, with a lot of furniture being made by Thomas Chippendale. The foundation stone was laid in 1759, and although building work was delayed by harsh winters, it was completed by 1771. The following year ?Capability? Brown landscaped the gardens. The wife of the 3rd Earl commissioned an extension in the mid-nineteenth century, adding a third storey to the house and the formal terraces. Harewood still remains the home of the Lascelles family today.