Harewood House

Harewood House was built in the 1760s by Edwin Lascelles who stated that he wanted “nothing but the best”! The impressive Palladian mansion is renowned for its magnificent Robert Adam interiors, superb Thomas Chippendale furniture, Capability Brown landscapes and a world class collection of paintings by, amongst others, JMW Turner, Reynolds, Titian, El Greco and Picasso.

It has been home to the Lascelles family ever since, reflecting the changing tastes and styles of the past 250 years. The 7th Earl, cousin to the Queen, and Countess still live here, and their collection of 20th century art sits alongside the purchases and commissions of previous generations, ensuring Harewood House continues to be a living place as well as a home for the great art of the past.

An Italianate Terrace, designed by Sir Charles Barry, stretches along the south front of the house and provides stunning views over the landscape gardens. Not content with finishing the house in grand fashion, the first Lord Harewood brought in Capability Brown to landscape the estate. This Brown did, in his usual grand, sweeping style, creating an open vista of parkland dotted with carefully placed trees and paths to accent specific views. On Brown’s suggestion, a stream was dammed to create a large lake, and today a walk skirts the edge of the lake, moving along a path shaded by overhanging trees, and ends at the Rose Garden. Here you will find the Walled Garden, where for over two hundred years, vegetables have been grown for Harewood House.

Harewood House