Castle Howard — Best Fountain And Follies - Beyond Downton Abbey: A Guide to 25 Great Houses - page 69

Castle Howard was designed by Sir John Vanbrugh and built between 1699 and 1712 for
the 3 rd Earl of Carlisle. Descendents of the 3 rd Earl continued work on the massive build-
ing until its completion in 1811. In 1940, large portions of the house were destroyed by
fire. Restoration to the exterior of Castle Howard is complete, however, restoration to
some interior sections of the building is ongoing.
Castle Howard remains in the Howard family through a complicated series of inherit-
ances. At one point following World War II, the contents of Castle Howard were being
sold off, but returning war veteran George Howard moved back into the house and began
to revitalize the estate. The Honorable Simon Howard, great grandson of the 9 th Earl of
Carisle, currently resides on the estate, which is owned and operated by a private com-
pany with Howard family members serving as directors.
Style notes
Baroque