Pemberley (Lyme Park, Cheshire)

Pemberley (Lyme Park, Cheshire)
Oh, to be in England...

Friday, February 10, 2012

Castle Howard, Yorkshire, England- Filming location

Castle Howard, Yorkshire, England
The period drama which springs instantly to mind when Castle Howard is mentioned is Brideshead Revisited. Both the longer 1981 miniseries with Jeremy Irons and the 2008 film version with Emma Thompson were filmed here. I was fortunate enough to visit in 2009 and I must say it is breathtaking.

Jeremy Irons and Anthony Andrews as Charles and Sebastian in Brideshead Revisited
Yes, you can imagine Sebastian with his teddy bear Aloysius lounging by the fountain as you walk the grounds. The Temple of the Four Winds is just as impressive as in the films, but alas, there is no sumptuous picnic inside and you must bring your own wine.

Temple of the Four Winds at Castle Howard
There is a ha-ha just past the Temple of the Four Winds, which does it's job in keeping the cows and the sheep on the lower level and away from the Temple itself.

Haley Atwell in Brideshead Revisited - Castle Howard
Both the interior of the house and the exterior lend themselves perfectly to locations for period drama. Interestingly, there haven't been many filmed here other than the two Bridesheads and The Buccaneers (I don't count Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties!) Perhaps this is because the house is so recognizable.

The Chapel at Castle Howard
The Chapel at Castle Howard was important to the Brideshead Revisited story, as the family's Catholicism was central to the story, however the Howard family and the exquisite chapel are Anglican. The Squire and I were fortunate enough to hear an organ concert in the chapel on the Sunday we were visiting.

Castle Howard aerial view
So if you are in North Yorkshire and you're able to visit, it's worth the better part of a day to go through the house and leisurely prowl the grounds. Even a spot of Yorkshire rain didn't dampen our wonderful day at Castle Howard.

6 comments:

  1. Beautiful memories of a beautiful day trip while we were in Yorkshire last summer. The park with its lakes is very awesome, we walked a lot and had a picnic. The castle is impressive.
    Thanks for this lovely post, Jenny.
    Have a good weekend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Maria Grazia! I know you are a fan of The Buccaneers so I'm sure you were thinking of Julius and Annabelle as I was. Have a great weekend. Stay warm!

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  2. Is this the original home of the Howard family, prelevant in Henry VIII's time?

    new homes for sale in Yorkshire

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, same Howard family. Ancestors include Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk who was the father of Katherine Howard, 5th wife of Henry VIII and he was also the uncle of Anne Boleyn.

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  3. absolutely gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi, just wanted to point out that actually the Howards are Catholic! Thanks for the post though, the castle is beautiful.

    ReplyDelete

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