Harewood House facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Harewood House
Harewood House from the garden
General information
Type	Stately home
Architectural style	Palladian
Location	Harewood, England
Coordinates	53°53′48″N 1°31′42″W / 53.89667°N 1.52833°W / 53.89667; -1.52833
Current tenants	Lascelles family
Construction started	1759
Completed	1771
Client	Edwin Lascelles, 1st Baron Harewood
Owner	Harewood House Trust
Design and construction
Architect	John Carr Robert Adam
Designations	Grade I listed

Harewood House is a grand country house located in Harewood, West Yorkshire, England. It was designed by famous architects John Carr and Robert Adam. The house was built between 1759 and 1771 for Edwin Lascelles, 1st Baron Harewood. He was a wealthy landowner who made his money from plantations in the West Indies.

The beautiful gardens and landscape around the house were designed by Lancelot "Capability" Brown. They cover a huge area of about 1,000 acres. Harewood House is still the home of the Lascelles family today. It is also part of the Treasure Houses of England, which is a group of ten important historic homes. The house is a Grade I listed building, meaning it is very important historically.

History of Harewood House

Early Beginnings

The large Harewood estate was formed by joining two smaller estates. These were the Harewood Castle estate and the Gawthorpe estate. The Gawthorpe estate had a manor house called Gawthorpe Hall. The two estates were combined when the Wentworth family bought the Harewood estate.

Later, in 1696, the combined estate was sold to a London merchant named Sir John Cutler. After he passed away, the Boulter family owned it. They then sold it to the Lascelles family in 1721.

The Lascelles Family and Building the House

In the late 1600s, members of the Lascelles family bought plantations in the West Indies. The money they earned from these plantations allowed Henry Lascelles to buy the estate in 1738. His son, Edwin Lascelles, 1st Baron Harewood, decided to build a new, grand house. This new house, Harewood House, would replace the old Gawthorpe Hall.

Edwin hired John Carr, a well-known architect from northern England. Carr had designed many country houses for important families in Yorkshire. Building started in 1759, and the main part of the house was finished by 1765. Robert Adam then designed the beautiful interiors, with his plans approved in 1765. Adam also made some small changes to Carr's outside design.

The house stayed mostly the same until the 1840s. At that time, Sir Charles Barry was hired by Henry Lascelles, 3rd Earl of Harewood. The 3rd Earl had thirteen children, so he needed more space! Barry added second floors to the side wings to create extra bedrooms. He also removed a porch on the south side and created formal gardens.

Royal Connections

In 1922, Henry Lascelles, Viscount Lascelles married Princess Mary. She was the only daughter of King George V. At first, they lived in a nearby house called Goldsborough Hall. But after Henry's father passed away in 1929, they moved permanently into Harewood House.

During the Second World War, Harewood House was used as a hospital for soldiers recovering from injuries. By the late 1940s, Princess Mary and her family moved back. The house and gardens were often opened to the public. They also hosted concerts, with Princess Mary as a supporter. Princess Mary passed away at Harewood in 1965.

Her elder son, Lord Harewood, became the 7th Earl in 1947. He lived at Harewood and was very involved in music. He directed the Royal Opera House and the English National Opera. He also supported local music festivals and orchestras.

Harewood Today

Today, Harewood House is still the family home of the Lascelles family. David Lascelles is the current Earl. The house and its grounds are now owned by the Harewood House Trust. They are open to the public for most of the year. In 2009, Harewood won an award for Large Visitor Attraction of the Year.

Harewood House has an amazing collection of art. This includes paintings by Italian Renaissance masters. There are also family portraits by famous artists like Sir Joshua Reynolds and Sir Thomas Lawrence. The 7th Earl and Countess also collected modern art. The Terrace Gallery often has new art exhibitions.

Besides tours of the house, Harewood has over 100 acres of gardens. These include a Himalayan garden with a stupa. There is also an adventure playground and the historic All Saints' Church. The Leeds Country Way walking path goes through the Harewood Estate.

In 2005, David Lascelles spoke about his family's historical links to the slave trade. In 2007, actor David Harewood visited the house. His ancestors in Barbados had been enslaved by the Earls of Harewood. In 2023, it was announced that a portrait of David Harewood would be placed in Harewood House. This shows the family's acknowledgment of this part of their history.

Harewood Bird Garden & Farm Experience

The Bird Garden at Harewood House used to have a small collection of exotic birds. More than five of these species were listed as vulnerable or endangered. It was a member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA).

Visitors could see birds like Humboldt penguins, Chilean flamingos, and macaws. In January 2023, the people in charge of Harewood decided to close the Bird Garden. They said the exact closing date would be announced later that year.

The area where the Bird Garden was will be turned into a new woodland garden. This will bring back some old walking paths. All the birds found new homes. The trustees explained that the Bird Garden needed £4 million for repairs. This was why they made the difficult decision to close it. The Farm Experience, however, will stay open.

Gallery

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  The main entrance to the Park

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  The entrance front

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  The centre of the entrance front

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  The Entrance Hall

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  The Old Library

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  The China Room (Originally Study)

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  Princess Mary's Dressing Room

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  The East Bedroom

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  Lord Harewood's Sitting Room

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  The State Bedroom

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  The Spanish Library

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  The Library

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  The Yellow Drawing Room

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  The Cinnamon Drawing Room

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  The Gallery

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  The Dining Room

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  The Music Room

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  The Main Staircase

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  A bathroom

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  The Kitchen

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  The terrace and parterre in front of the south façade

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  The Old Stables

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  The lake

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  Harewood House cascade

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  Stepping stones below the cascade

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  The recently preserved Harewood Castle, as seen from the northeast

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  Exterior purpose-built village set built by ITV Studios in 1997, used for the production of Emmerdale since 1997.

See also

In Spanish: Casa Harewood para niños

• Grade I listed buildings in West Yorkshire
• Listed buildings in Harewood, West Yorkshire