Living in Yorkshire, there is so much history and a lot of places to see/visit. We have a whole list of places to want to go and things we want to do. But with Will working during the week, the only time we get is on the weekends, so we usually do things that are within day trips.

One place that is really close to us is Castle Howard, a large estate home dating back to the 1700’s. It’s actually still owned and run by the Howard family. Remember Henry VIII? And his 3rd wife, Catherine Howard? Yeah, same family. I’m a huge English history nerd so visiting Castle Howard was cool for me.

The family even still lives here, but only in one wing of the castle, which for obvious reasons, is closed to the public. The rest of the house has been open to the public since the 1800’s. The property is still sometimes closed off to the public for social events hosted by the Howards and some of the rooms that are on display are actually still used as guest rooms during such times.

A ticket to the House and Gardens will cost you £19.50, which I guess is a bit steep but it gives you access to the whole grounds. There’s even a cart that can take you all around the grounds. There’s a boathouse, several lakes, the gardens, and obviously the house itself. You can easily spend a whole day here.

Castle Howard houses some of the best-preserved Roman artifacts and that’s because one of the Howards loved collecting them. He would visit dig sites in Italy and buy artifacts that were found. The mosaic tables in the photos below are actually flooring from Roman villas.

If English history isn’t really your thing, I’m not too sure i’d recommend a visit. Will definitely wasn’t as impressed, but as a foreigner I loved it.

Castle Howard hosts all types of public events ranging from fireworks displays to concerts. Planning your visit around one of these events would definitely add to your day. You could even pack a picnic and sit by the water for lunch; although beware of the geese! I’m sure they’d enjoy steeling your lunch.

 

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