Castle Howard in the UK
Rating: 8,3/10 (683 votes)  Castle Howard is an old family estate owned by the English aristocratic Howard family. The family is headed by Earl Carlisle, who lives in the castle today. This castle is located on the territory of North Yorkshire, to the largest city in the County of York from here 25 km to the south.
The decision to build a family castle was made by the third Earl Carlisle. It fell to Sir John Vanbruh, who was then still an aspiring architect, but in the future the creator of the famous Blenheim Palace, with whom Nicholas Hawksmoor also worked, to be engaged in the grandiose construction. Vanbruh decided to build the castle in such a way as to harmoniously fit it into the surrounding picturesque landscape. And he succeeded: the view from the windows of the castle is truly amazing.
Construction went on from 1699 to 1712. In addition to a spectacular building in a continental Baroque style unusual for England with a gilded dome, the architects created a lush French-style park with lakes and magnificent fountains. Improvements, extensions and decorations of the building and the surrounding area continued after 1712. So, inspired by the Villa Rotunda in Vicenza, Vanbruh created South Lake and the Cathedral of the Four Winds, and Nicholas Hawksmoor built a mausoleum for the deceased owners of the castle.
Another interesting element of the castle's architectural ensemble is the unique arboretum. It was created in 1975 at the initiative of the then owner Lord Howard and Jim Russell, a great lover of botany, and opened to visitors only in 1999. In the arboretum, a very large number of winter-hardy woody plants were collected. Today its area is 51 hectares. Since 1997, a special trust has been involved in the affairs of the arboretum, collaborating, among other things, with the Royal Botanic Gardens.
Another interesting element of the castle's interior is the valuable collection of paintings, which even includes some of Michelangelo's works. Due to the large number of values and unique design, Castle Howard is considered one of the nine private houses in England, which received the title of"treasure houses".
In 1940, a massive fire broke out in the palace, which damaged the building, but it was soon successfully restored. Today the castle, although it has the status of a private house, is open to visitors, which are never lacking.We also recommend reading Houghton Hall UK Topic: Castle Howard in the UK. |
