Castle Howard
Vanburgh's Yorkshire masterpiece.
York, North Yorkshire, YO60 7DA
Facilities
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Cafe / restaurant
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Easily accessible without car
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Facilities for children
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Parkland / open spaces
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Pet friendly
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Picnic area
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Shop
- Guide dogs welcome
- Hearing loops
- Wheelchair ramps/routes
- Accessible parking
- Accessible toilets
This virtual palace was the first great work of the architect Sir John Vanburgh in 1699 for Charles Howard, 3rd Earl of Carlisle.
Arguably the finest Baroque stately home in Britain, with a spectacular Great Hall under the painted and gilded dome 80 feet high. It contains fabulous collections of paintings and, notably, classical sculpture.
Known to many as the location of ‘Brideshead’ in the television series and also in the 2008 feature film.
The park is designed on a heroic scale covering 1,000 acres. The gardens, with their formal baroque layout between two lakes and famous Prince of Wales Fountain, also include such memorable sights as the Temple of Four Winds, the Cascade and the Mausoleum.
The Walled Garden has collections of old and modern roses, and Ray Wood has a unique collection of rhododendrons, rare trees, magnolias and azaleas. Winner of the Historic Houses Garden of the Year Award 2011.
Please note that Castle Howard does not offer free access to members of Historic Houses, but is a member of our association, along with hundreds of houses we support across the UK. In order to see places you can visit for free as a Historic Houses member, please see our ‘Free to Visit’ listings page here.
Please note: The information on the Historic Houses website is advisory, but please always check the website of the house or garden you intend to visit before travelling.
Grounds: Year round (except 25 December).
House: Daily from 10:30am.
Castle Howard regrets to say that following discussions with Historic Houses, and given the exceptional current circumstances, it has not proved possible to continue the membership access scheme for the gardens and house.
Child: (4 – 16)£8.50
Under 4: Free
Family (1 adult, up to 3 children): £21.50
Family (2 adults, up to 3 children): £34.50
This house is not part of the Free for Members scheme, but is one of many houses on our website that we support to promote their tours, weddings, filming and other commercial offerings. To see all the places you can visit as a Historic Houses member, please visit our ‘Free for Members’ listings page here. Or to find out more about how the membership scheme works and how it supports our work to protect independent heritage, visit our page here.
As well as discounted house and grounds admission, Castle Howard offers a variety of other group benefits, allowing you to tailor make your visit for a perfect day.
Bespoke group visits can be arranged for school groups with various members of the Castle Howard team, from the curators to the gardens team.
- Guide dogs welcome
- Hearing loops
- Wheelchair ramps/routes
- Accessible parking
- Accessible toilets