Castle Howard, England.

Front elevation at Castle Howard

This evening, I am reprising a tour of Castle Howard near York in N.E. England

First, we departed our lodgings in York and drove north for 15 miles to Castle Howard, a 300 year-old grand house which is the home of the distinguished Howard family.

Features at Castle Howard include:

  • Baroque architecture with hints of Catholicism.
  • Great Hall with high dome and frescoes, carvings and wrought ironwork.
  • Ornate chapel with work by pre-Raphaelite artists including William Morris.
  • Temple of the Four Winds located away form the main building and offering 360 degree views.
  • Garden statues.
  • Ray Wood with extensive botanical collection.
  • Grand entrances.
  • Lake with water birds.
  • Connection with Brideshead Revisited, both T.V. series and film.
Spring blossom at Ray Wood, Castle Howard, Grand bedroom at Castle Howard Great Hall, Castle Howard Atlas Fountain, Castle Howard Castle Howard viewed from Temple Terrace

 

Temple of the Four Winds, Castle Howard

Video clip of Castle Howard, front elevation.

 

The visit to Castle Howard was enhanced by dry, sunny weather which lasted until 3.00pm when rain set in.

We departed Castle Howard mid-afternoon and returned to York to spend time in the famous and historic Shambles shopping area which is now tourist orientated but has its origins in the medieval period when it was used for butchering animals.

 

Shambles shopping area, York

, 

Shambles, York

Finally, we returned to our lodgings in York.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Reconstructed Roman Villa

Image
This evening, I am reporting on my visit earlier today to a meticulously reconstructed Roman Villa in Somerset, England.   Funding for the project was provided by a South African billionaire. Specific features of the reconstruction project which is known as 'Villa Ventorum': Employed hundreds of architects, builders, archaelogists, mosaic makers, fresco painters and experts on ancient plumbing. The new build was built close to the remains of the original villa which dates from AD351. Incorporates the only working hypocaust system in Europe to create authentic Roman underfloor heating. Thne system also provides heating for the internal baths. Designed to appear to visitors as though still in use. Mosaics and frescoes have been made below the top standards of the time (e.g. Chedworth ) to reflect the social rank of the resident family. Incorporates a Roman 'fast food bar' allong the lines of that found in Pompeii . (Core of above information sourced from the Times newspap
Read more

Glen Quaich, one of Scotland's best backroads tour routes

Image
This afternoon, I am reporting the route of Glen Quaich in Central Scotland. This is a scenic, single track road which is usually closed to traffic in winter. The route covers about twelve miles and runs between the villages of Amulree and Kenmore on the northern tip of Loch Tay in Perthshire. Depending on time of year it is possible to encounter low lying snow, many sheep, grouse and other exceptional opportunities for photography. Incidentally, Quaich means a drinking cup. In a certain place the landscape is shaped like a bowl. Glen Quaich, Perthshire, Scotland Glen Quaich Black Grouse at Glen Quaich Here are a couple of video clips.
Read more

Fort Augustus, a popular visitor site on southern tip of Loch Ness

Image
Loch Ness from flight of locks at Fort Augustus, Scottish Highlands This evening, I am posting information on Fort Augustus, a busy tourist village on the southern tip of Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. Summary information on Fort Augustus as follows:- Population about 650 persons. Distance, about 160 miles from Edinburgh and 35 miles from Inverness entailing journey times of 3.5 hours and 1 hour respectively. Well endowed with hotels and other accommodation plus shops, restaurants and visitor attractions. From here visitors can avail of boat trips on Loch Ness. Home to an impressive flight of five locks on the Caledonian Canal. Latter dates from 1822 and is now primarily used by pleasure boats. Closely linked with the 18th century Jacobite uprising in that (a) the village was renamed Fort Augustus (after Prince William Augustus, third son of King George II) consequent upon construction of a British military (redcoat) fort in 1742 and (b) the same Prince
Read more