Harewood House

Harewood House
Originally uploaded by CokeeOrg

Harewood House, home to the Queen’s cousin, the Earl of Harewood, provides a wonderful day out for all the family. The House, with its outstanding art collections, splendid State Rooms and fascinating ‘Below Stairs’ exhibition, is set in spectacular grounds, which include formal gardens and gentle woodland walks.

The house was built from 1759 to 1771 for the Lascelles family, who had bought the estate after making their fortune in the West Indies through Customs positions, slave trading and lending money to planters. The house was designed by the architects John Carr and Robert Adam.

Much of the furniture is by the eighteenth century English furniture designer Thomas Chippendale, who came from nearby Otley.

Lancelot “Capability” Brown designed the grounds to which Sir Charles Barry added a grand terrace, in 1844.

Artist Thomas Girtin stayed at the house many times, painting the house itself and also the surrounding countryside and landmarks, such as the nearby Plumpton Rocks which at the time was owned by the Harewood Estate.

Harewood house has a long history of taking visitors interested in its imposing architecture, and collections of paintings. The first guidebook to Harewood House was published early in the nineteenth century.

The house served as a convalescent hospital during both World War I and World War II.