Following a major renovation of its historic interiors, Castle Howard’s 21st Century Renaissance opened to public in April this year, including the unveiling of its lost Tapestry Drawing Room, which has been restored to its original 18th-century splendour for the first time since a devastating fire in 1940.
Visitors will also be able to see the renovated Long Gallery and Grand Staircase and a complete rehang and redisplay of Castle Howard’s collection of paintings, sculptures and tapestries. The work is revealed prior to the 300th anniversary of Sir John Vanbrugh’s death in 2026. Castle Howard is Britain’s most famous country house, recognised by millions across the world as the location for Brideshead Revisited and Bridgerton. It is set in one thousand acres of sweeping parkland filled with statues, temples, lakes and fountains, and is one of the most historically significant houses in Europe. Castle Howard has been home to nine generations of the Howard family across three hundred years, with each contributing to its creation, evolution, and preservation. A devastating fire in 1940 destroyed the iconic dome and more than 20 rooms in the house whilst it was being used as a girls’ school during the Second World War. Upon his return from war, George Howard made the decision to keep the house and estate in family ownership and he embarked on the restoration of the house, which in 1952 opened to the public. He restored the dome in 1962, and the filming of Brideshead Revisited two decades later enabled the reconstruction of the Garden Hall and New Library. The restoration work is being continued by the present generation of custodians, Nicholas and Victoria Howard, with work led by architect Francis Terry and designers Remy Renzullo and Alec Cobbe. Nicholas and Victoria Howard said: “Every one of the nine generations who have lived in Castle Howard has enjoyed dancing with its particular aesthetic. We are no exception. From its inception 325 years ago, it has been a vivacious house, demanding lively evolution. During all that time it has managed to achieve the duality of being both a family home and a place at which to marvel. The re-creation of the Tapestry Drawing Room is at the centre of our contemporary evolution. The evisceration of more than 20 rooms in the 1940 fire had the silver lining of once more allowing us to step into the creative process here. Spreading out from the Tapestry Drawing Room, we have re-purposed, re-hung and re-decorated, re-vivifying the house that has refused to die.”