The extensive gardens and grounds at Castle Howard provides an ideal
setting for the house. Here a few selected highlights you will find
as you wander throughout the grounds.
Ray Wood
This delightful stand of woodland garden stands on a small rise to the
west of the house. Serpentine trails wind through the wood, at the top
of which stands The Reservoir, a lovely pool dating from the 1850s which
feeds the fountains in the gardens below. The woods are notable for
the profusion of rhododendrons, with over 800 species planted amidst
azaleas, wild roses, and magnolias.
Temple
of the Four Winds
Built to a design by Vanbrugh, this classical domed temple with four
porticoes stands at the south-west corner of Ray Wood. The temple, originally
dedicated to Diana, was completed in 1739, long after Vanbrugh's death.
The temple gives wonderful views to the New River Bridge and the Mausoleum.
The Mausoleum
Sadly not open to visitors, the circular Mausoleum is the burial place
for members of the Howard family. It was begun by the 3rd Earl in 1729
to a design by Nicholas Hawksmoor. It was not completed until the 1740s,
long after the Earl's death. He was first interred at the parish church
of Bulmer, but his body was moved to the Mausoleum in 1744. The dome,
which rises to a height of 90 feet, is supported by a series of 20 pillars.
The
Frog Pond
The South Lake feeds into this small, elongated pond over a cascade.
Beside the pond stands a delightful statue of a shepherd boy. Rest upon
a park bench beside the water and enjoy the views toward the distant
Mausoleum.
The South Parterre and Atlas Fountain
Where Ray Wood is decidedly informal, the South Parterre is very formal
indeed, with low, clipped hedges lining plain grass lawns and gravel
walks in a geometrically precise pattern below the house. The centrepiece
of the parterre is the Atlas Fountain, a glorious sculptural extravagance
built to a design by William Nesfield (1853). The parterre as it stands
today is largely the result of renovations carried out by the 9th Countess
in the 1890s, who replaced Nesfield's box hedges and gravel with grass
terraces and yew.
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