Inside Castle Howard

Castle Howard had amazing grounds, but inside the house was equally beautiful.  Guests enter from a side entrance and begin their walk-through by climbing these steps.

I spy a James.

The hall at the top of the stairs displayed several different sets of the Howard family's china.

I love the rich colors and layers of decoration, though I do stop to wonder what the family's private apartments look like.  Do you think they get tired of living in a period piece and decorate their bedroom with furniture from IKEA?

The floors are lovely, aren't they?

Looking up is also a good idea.

A man on duty in the foyer pointed out how a few of the statues had various parts that were clearly not part of the originals.  Apparently not all of the wealthy English collectors cared about accuracy when they went abroad in search of Greek and Roman treasures for their homes.

I think stone staircases are by far the most beautiful, though I have to admit they wouldn't be fun to go up and down several times a day, and they wouldn't be very practical for toddlers.

Ella and I thought the turquoise room was gorgeous.  It's such a great color.

But of course the light-filled library gave the turquoise room a run for its money as our favorite room.

The wooden floors had been freshly polished that morning for a wedding reception.

My little tourist girl.

The Highly Ornate Chapel

Castle Howard is the setting for both versions of the film, Brideshead Revisted, which I haven't yet read or seen. We also learned about a great fire in the castle in 1940, when much of the house's possessions were saved by the girls' school who had been evacuated there during World War II.  Although many great houses are closed to the public during the winter, Castle Howard is open year round.  Hopefully we'll make another trip to discover more of its history.  It is a little difficult to get to, however.  Although it's only about 30 miles from us it takes about 50 minutes to make the drive. Thus is life in North Yorkshire at times.