Castle Howard

Highlights of the spectacular Castle Howard include the Walled Garden, Woodland Garden, and Atlas Fountain, plus its mausoleum and Temple of the Four Winds. The simplest way to visit Castle Howard, located as it is in the countryside, is on a guided tour; group coach tours and private driving tours of the region both offer a seamless way to explore. If you are visiting independently, you can wander the castle on your own or get a more comprehensive experience by joining one of Castle Howard’s two guided, late-afternoon tours offered daily from March to early November. Private tours should be booked in advance.

• Castle Howard is the perfect destination for history buffs, architecture lovers, and garden enthusiasts.

• The grounds host a number of cafés and restaurants, including the elegant Fitzroy Restaurant and the Boathouse Café.

• On sunny summer days, you can embark on a boat tour of the Great Lake.

• The castle hosts a number of temporary exhibitions, plus a series of talks and other special events.

• Most of the house and grounds are accessible to wheelchair users. Manual wheelchairs are available to borrow at the ticket office or house entrance.

Castle Howard is located just 15 miles (24 kilometers) northwest of York, amidst the rolling Howardian Hills. Guided tours from York offer the easiest way to access the landmark; if driving yourself, take the A64. Bus 181 runs from York to Castle Howard four times daily.

Castle Howard is open to the public daily from late March through early November; the ticket office opens at 10am, with first entry to the castle at 10:30am and last entry at 3pm. The sprawling grounds are open 10am to 5pm year-round. Castle Howard is also open from late November until December 31 (except December 24 through 26) for an array of holiday activities including live music and entertainment, festive decorations, and market stalls.

Beyond its glamour and wealth of history, Castle Howard also has a cinematic side. The landmark was used as a filming location for both the television and movie adaptations of Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited.