castle howard · the site was chosen by nick cooke, forestry manager and is situated just by east...

Castle Howard Summer 2013 (Issue 51)

www.castlehoward.co.uk

DUTY CALLS: CASTLE HOWARD IN TIME OF WAR See pages 4 and 5

Castle Howard Late Summer 2013 (Issue 51)

Christopher Howard (third from left) and his crew in front of their Boston light bomber in 1942

Last year marked 25 years since the Howardian

Hills was officially designated as an Area of

Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

To mark the jubilee year, the AONB Committee

is installing 25 natural log seats at viewpoints

throughout the area. The first was installed in

December last year and overlooks the Mausoleum

at Castle Howard.

The site was chosen by Nick Cooke, Forestry

Manager and is situated just by East Moor Banks

Woods within easy walking distance of the Castle

Howard car park and grounds via the New River


Castle Howard Newsletter - Late Summer 2013

Bridge or the Gatehouse.

The seats are made from a length of natural oak

branch wood, sourced from the Castle Howard

Estate and secured to the ground with stout stakes;

providing a welcome resting spot which is in

keeping with the surroundings.

Wet ground conditions and the need to cross

farmers’ arable fields has meant a slight delay in the

seat installation but the remaining log seats are

hoped to be in place by the end of summer and will

be spread throughout the 16 mile west-to-east

length of the AONB.

Paul Jackson, Howardian Hills AONB Manager

www.howardianhills.org Rest a while and take in one of Nick Cooke’s favourite views

I am pleased to announce Castle Howard has

been shortlisted for a tourism ‘Oscar’! The annual

White Rose Awards organised by Welcome to

Yorkshire, are the highest official recognition a

tourism provider can achieve.

The awards recognise excellence in visitor

experience, product development and customer

service. Our entry in the Large Visitor Attraction

category, highlights recent improvements to our

‘OSCAR’ NOMINATION visitor offer which includes our ‘added-value’ events

programme, a new Coffee Shop & improved

Boathouse Café, as well as the recent work

undertaken by the Castle Howard Arboretum Trust

to reinstate the 18th-century pathways in Ray

Wood.

The awards ceremony takes place on Monday

11th November in Leeds. We are keeping our

fingers crossed!

HOWARDIAN HILLS JUBILEE

As one of the areas of landscape recognised in

the late 1940s as being worthy of national

protection; the Howardian Hills was officially

recognised as an AONB in October 1987.

It covers a total area of 75 square miles

stretching from Helmsley to Malton, Howsham to

Husthwaite and is one of 47 AONBs in England,

Wales and Northern Ireland.

Other North Yorkshire AONBs include

Nidderdale and the Forest of Bowland.

Castle Howard Newsletter—Late Summer 2013


A new BBC 4 mini-series aired in July featuring

Castle Howard and the contribution made by the

5th Earl to Britain’s art history.

‘Bought With Love: The Secret History of

British Art Collections’ saw art historian Helen

Rosslyn explore how passionate collectors brought

great art into Britain. She revealed the stories of the

men and women whose enthusiasm for art, sense of

adventure and powerful wealth built Britain’s

BOUGHT WITH LOVE: BRITAIN’S ART HISTORY

national collection.

In the final episode, shown on Wednesday 31st

July, Helen met the Hon Simon Howard and

Dr Chris Ridgway to discuss the 5th Earl’s love of

art and the part he played in shaping the history of

art of our nation.

Catch all three episodes on BBC iPlayer.

Rachel Underwood, Marketing Manager

If you visited the House between Sunday 30th

June and Friday 12th July you will not have failed

to notice the large number of TV vehicles,

scaffolding and lighting rigs outside the house - not

to mention the many elegant characters in costume

lounging in the sunshine on the South Front steps.

We were delighted to be chosen as one of the

main locations for a new three-part drama ‘Death

Comes to Pemberley’, which is to be shown at

Christmas on the BBC.

‘Death Comes to Pemberley’ is adapted from

PD James's international bestselling novel of the

same name. Written as a ‘sequel’ to Jane Austen’s

Pride and Prejudice, it picks up the story of

Elizabeth and Darcy six years into their marriage.

Filming took place in the bedrooms and South

Front rooms, as well as in the Walled Garden and

Temple of the Four Winds.

Castle Howard played host to a star-studded

cast, which included Anna Maxwell Martin

WHEN MR DARCY CAME TO VISIT

(Elizabeth), Matthew Rhys (Darcy), Matthew

Goode (Wickham), Penelope Keith (Lady Catherine

de Bourgh) and Trevor Eve (Sir Selwyn Hardcastle).

The director Daniel Percival thanked the

Howard family and staff for their “kindness,

patience and support” as the cast and crew

undertook a mammoth eleven day shoot, with

many scenes wrapped in the early hours of the

morning.

After leaving Castle Howard the crew headed

south to film at Chatsworth. Other locations for

the drama include Harewood House, Newby Hall

and York.

Guide Gwynne Hoss has her Mr Darcy moment - with Matthew Rhys



Our new exhibition ‘Duty Calls: Castle Howard

in Time of War’ opened in May as part of a series

of linked exhibitions running across the member

houses of the Yorkshire Country House Partnership

throughout 2013 and 2014.

The exhibition looks at the impact of conflict

on Castle Howard; for both the family and wider

community. The stories encompass the lives of

those left behind as well as those fighting and of the

staff, tenants and family alike.

Intensive research for the exhibition began in

late February and there was some trepidation as to

whether we had enough material to make a good

exhibition. These anxieties quickly vanished as a

huge amount of material began to emerge from the

archives as well as from individuals keen to share

their memories, objects and documents. We’ve

received items from as far afield as Australia as well

as from across the UK with the exhibition

developing as more and more articles come in.

Discoveries from WWI included: Rosalind, the

9th Countess, refusing to make Castle Howard

available to the military in September 1914; the

story of her son Geoffrey commanding a fleet of

London buses in Belgium that ferried troops to the

front (blind in one eye he was not able to fight in

the trenches); the tragic death of his younger

brother Michael at Passchendaele in 1917; and

most surprising of all, the extraordinary little diary

of Private James Prest from his time as a prisoner of

war in 1918, generously loaned by his son John

who lives in Coneysthorpe.

These were just a few of the stories we could

present and illustrate with documents and

photographs. But we had to leave out the touching

episode of how the estate horses were requisitioned

by the army in 1914, with the request by the agent

that the children’s ponies be returned after the

conflict; the German POW camp near Welburn;

and the emotive issue of what did or did not

constitute a reserved occupation, which would

exempt men from going to the front.

There were just as many stories to tell from

WWII. The surprise at finding out that in 1937

Castle Howard was already being thought of as a

hospital in the event of an attack by air; the

DUTY CALLS: CASTLE HOWARD IN TIME OF WAR

finished installing the exhibition with the thought

‘thank goodness the Howard family never threw

anything anyway.’

Chris Ridgway, Curator



astonishing set of letters and journals among the

children of Geoffrey Howard: Christian, Mark,

George and Christopher, and their experiences at

home and away fighting. There were also reminders

that life went on as normal despite the conflict;

when the house was a school the headmistress

asked for modifications to be made to the house

whilst occupied by so many pupils in the same week

as thousands of British troops were lying exhausted

on the beaches of Dunkirk awaiting evacuation.

Once more, a great deal had to be left out,

including details of the military occupation of part

of the Estate in 1939.

Because of the wealth of material and the

ongoing contribution being made by members of

the public, we have decided to issue a book to be

launched at the beginning of the 2014 season. If

you have any recollections, documents or

photographs relating to Castle Howard in time of

war please get in touch. We are also planning a

number of lectures and events throughout 2014.

‘Duty Calls’ tells a hitherto unknown chapter in

the history of Castle Howard; the abundance of

material available in the archives has allowed us to

provide a glimpse into that history. As a curator I

London buses, ‘bristling with bayonets’, transporting British soldiers to the trenches. From 1914-15 Geoffrey Howard commanded a fleet of 1,000 buses in Belgium.

The other Yorkshire Country House

Partnership members participating in the ‘Duty

Calls’ exhibitions are:

Beningbrough Hall, Brodsworth Hall, Fairfax

House, Kiplin Hall, Lotherton Hall, Newby Hall,

Nostell Priory and Sewerby Hall.

The decision to launch the project a year in

advance of the nationwide commemorations in

2014 was taken to allow for reflection before the

array of events next year. Additionally, the

exhibitions may prompt people to come forward

and thus allow the collections to develop and

mature over the two years.

Find out more about Duty Calls and the

Yorkshire Country House Partnership at:

www.ychp.org.uk

Below: Notification issued in 1914, warning of a possible invasion. Just one of many official wartime documents in the archives at Castle Howard.



August this year promises to be a very musical

month. There is something for everyone, from the

pomp and ceremony of the Proms to Sounds in the

Grounds showcasing up-and-coming bands as well

as cover artists. Not to mention the ‘noughties’

favourites, who will be taking to the stage at

Popfest!

As ever the Castle Howard Proms Spectacular,

on Saturday 17th August, will be a great

celebration of all things British. This year it will

feature the renowned English National Orchestra

with Jae Alexander at the helm, star soloists John

Hudson and Janet Mooney and an aerobatic

display by an original World War II Spitfire,

dramatically choreographed with split-second

timing.

This year’s concert will also feature the chart-

topping male vocal harmony group The Overtones,

plus a very special performance by the Military

Wives Choir, from Catterick Garrison. And that’s

not forgetting a rousing finale of flag-waving

favourites from the Last Night of the Proms and

spectacular firework display.

On Sunday 18th August the nineties and

noughties will be revisited, with a fantastic line-up

including Five, Blue, Atomic Kitten, B*Witched,

911 and the Honeyz. Following the success of hit

TV show The Big Reunion, these popular bands are

making a comeback and will be visiting Castle

Howard for an amazing pop extravaganza. We are

also excited to be welcoming a special guest

presenter... yet to be announced!

Tickets are still available for the Proms

Spectacular and Popfest - buy online at

www.maconcerts.co.uk

New for 2013 and perfect for the family, on

Saturday 24th August the Minster FM stage will

come to Castle Howard to showcase the very best

in local talent – from young, up-and-coming bands

to established cover bands playing your favourite

hits. There will be something for everyone and lots

to keep younger members of the family entertained,

including stilt-walkers, circus skills, magic shows

and face painters. There is no need to book in

advance, just turn up on the day. Sounds in the

Grounds is included in the price of a grounds entry

ticket. Katie Pryor, Events Manager

A SUMMER OF POP & PROMS

Popfest: Blue at Castle Howard on Sunday 18th August

TIME TO EXPLORE



The three-year restoration in Ray Wood

overseen by the Yorkshire Arboretum (previously

Castle Howard Arboretum Trust) is nearly

complete. The volunteers’ hard work has made the

wood easier to navigate without losing the charm of

its serpentine paths, monuments and of course its

magnificent plants and trees.

When the pathways were cleared, Jan Hoyland

(then curator at the Castle Howard Arboretum

Trust) created seasonal walks for spring, summer

and autumn. Each walk takes around 25 minutes

and makes the most of the plants flowering in each

season.

Once the routes were set out, new signage was

needed to orientate visitors. The signs had to

complement the environment and be visible without

being intrusive. In consultation with signage

providers AD Bell, it was decided to use solid oak

frames and directional posts with designer Den

Stubbs redesigning the maps at each entrance in

more sympathetic colours. We used the symbols of

a leaf (spring), flower (summer), and acorn

(autumn) as indicators on the posts for each route.

Before the permanent directional posts were

installed, Richard Leonard of AD Bell marked out

the walks with temporary posts. Unfortunately,

within a few weeks many of the posts had been

uprooted and strewn about the wood. On further

investigation Richard discovered that the wood’s

furry residents had been very curious – and teeth

marks in the posts proved him right. The temporary

posts were put back up and then subsequently

replaced by the much more durable permanent

markers.

Den Stubbs has designed the illustrated Ray

Wood booklet which contains a brief history of the

wood and the seasonal

walks and maps. The

booklet is written by Jan

Hoyland and contains

some glorious photographs

by Mike Kipling. This is

now available for sale at

the Ticket Office,

Bookshop, House Desk

and House Gift Shop at £2

(or free to Annual Pass holders).

We are currently working on some smart

information panels which will explain the site of the

ruined Temple of Venus, tell the story of the long

lost follies and reveal the workings of the 18th-

century reservoir. New rustic benches using wood

from the estate are also planned. We hope that in

the future a route accessible for wheelchairs can be

created too.

Ray Wood has always been an enchanting place

to spend time – but this summer and autumn you

can do so without worrying about getting lost!

Hannah Jones,

Visitor Services Manager

Follow the new signage to enjoy seasonal woodland walks



If you are a Castle Howard Annual Pass holder

you are invited to apply for a place on the exclusive

Mausoleum Tour taking place on Saturday 5th

October.

Exclusive to Annual Pass holders, visit the most

mysterious and imposing building in the Castle

Howard landscape where generations of the

Howard family are buried in the vaults beneath the

spectacular chapel. The tour involves walking

across uneven terrain and lasts between 2 and 2.5

hours, so sensible footwear is a must.

Numbers are limited, therefore Annual Pass

holders are invited to apply for a place by Friday

20th September. Successful applicants will be

drawn and notified by Friday 27th September.

You can apply via post, email

[email protected] or telephone

01653 648621.

Nicole Hingley, Visitor Services

MAUSOLEUM TOUR WONDERPHIL WEDNESDAYS!

Phil Grainger aka WonderPhil, whom you may

know as Father Christmas' helper from our Fireside

Audience with Father Christmas, also runs

Gobbledigook Theatre, a theatre company

producing in York and surrounding areas. He has

created two new shows for Castle Howard this

summer.

A moving magic show; taking you through the

stunning and magical grounds of Castle Howard

and Promenade theatre; bright-eyed storytelling

with WonderPhil acting as your guide and narrator,

introducing you to other characters on the way!

Shows will take place every Wednesday throughout

the summer so you have plenty of time to catch

both! No need to book – they are there for you to

enjoy at your leisure, and included in your grounds

entry.

Katie Pryor, Events Manager

NOW STOCKING LOCAL ORGANIC VEG

Our new selection of local organic vegetables are proving

popular. Supplied by Newfield Farm at Fadmoor, on the North

York Moors, current stocks include fennel, kohlrabi and curly

kale. Why not pop in and see what’s on offer and try out the

recipe opposite.

Magical WonderPhil



Whatever the occasion, the Castle Howard

Farm Shop has some wonderful summer tipples, all

locally produced with care, attention to detail and

pride in their Yorkshire heritage.

As well as the renowned Ampleforth Abbey,

which supplies beers and ciders to the Farm Shop,

we are supplied by local brewers Cropton Brewery

from Pickering and Wold Top from Wold Newton.

Local producer Sloe Motion; a small, family-

run business from Barton-le-Willows, supplies sloe

gin, vodka, brandy and chocolate treats. Sloe

Motion continues to lead the field with great

products and their most recent addition, the No. 7,

has been hailed as ‘Yorkshire’s answer to Pimms,

only better’. Already a firm favourite, this summer

cup has a hint of summer fruit, fresh herbs and is

amazing served with good-quality lemonade, ice

and a sprig of mint.

Ryedale Vineyards, only eight miles from

Castle Howard, is England’s most northerly

commercial vineyard. Planted in 2006 Ryedale

Vineyards have been producing award-winning

wines since 2009 from the south-facing slopes at

the foot of the Yorkshire Wolds. Run by husband

and wife team Stuart and Elizabeth Smith, their

sought-after wines are on sale in the Farm Shop.

We’d recommend ‘A Taste of Paradise’, a sparkling

rosé and the perfect fizz for a summer’s evening.

Yorkshire Country Wines, based at Stockton on

the Forest, produce a range of traditional wines

including damson and rhubarb. Why not try their

elderflower wine; they use elderflowers which are

picked on the Castle Howard Estate each year in

June.

Cheers!

Jane Deri, Farm Shop Manager

SUMMERTIME AND THE LIVING IS EASY

A QUICK SUMMER SUPPER: SPANISH OMELETTE

Peel a large potato and slice very thinly. Fry in a heavy ovenproof pan in

enough olive oil to cover the potato. When soft pour off the excess oil and lift

out the potatoes. Meanwhile blanch 3 - 4 handfuls of washed spinach. When

wilted take off the heat and drain off the excess water.

Crush one clove of garlic and add to the potato pan with a chopped onion.

Cook on a medium heat for 2 minutes or until soft. Add the blanched spinach

and potato and cook until warmed through.

Add 6 beaten eggs (seasoned with salt/black pepper/herbs) and cook gently

for 2 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Continue to cook through gently or for

best results transfer to the oven to brown off.



Between the end of the busy summer holidays

and the madness of Christmas, I am usually busy at

my desk booking acts and entertainers for the

forthcoming season. This year, however, I have

decided to set myself an additional challenge!

Since I started working at Castle Howard

almost three years ago I’ve been keen to get a

Halloween event into the calendar. So I am very

excited to announce our own Halloween

spectacular, ‘Chills & Thrills’ on Wednesday 30th

October. I know it’s not actually on Halloween, but

I don’t want people to miss out on trick or treating

– so why not have the best of both worlds?

‘Chills & Thrills’ will be exciting, fun and

family friendly. The last thing we want to do is

frighten people away!

The event will take place in the early evening,

when the South Front will be transformed into a

spooky wonderland where you can meet witches,

wizards, ghosts and ghouls, as well as owls, toads,

snakes and creepy crawlies. Keep your eye out for

the headless horseman who is sure to be hiding

among the trees! Spooky stories will be told in the

South East Wing which, untouched since the fire in

1940, provides a suitably spooky backdrop. You

may not even recognise yourself in the hall of

mirrors, especially if you get your face painted by

one of our professional ‘terror’ face painters. Stilt-

walkers, fire-eaters and our very own Geoffrey the

Dragon Tamer (aka Geoffrey the Lion) will be on

hand to protect you from the spooks.

The Castle Howard pumpkin carving team will

be busy in the week leading up to the event,

ensuring the grounds are lit up with ghoulish

pumpkins. You are also invited to bring along your

own and there will be a prize for the scariest! We’ll

also be giving a prize for the best Halloween

costume so dust off your witches hat.

The grand finale will be a spectacular 40-

minute display of horsemanship by Atkinson Action

Horses. Their Horses of Halloween stunt riding

show features knights, minions, a unicorn, fire,

pyrotechnics and some breathtaking stunts.

Tickets must be pre-booked with all activities

included in the price. Tickets are on sale now:

Adults £15; Concessions (U16/senior/students) £10.

Katie Pryor, Events Manager

CHILLS & THRILLS AT HALLOWEEN Autumn Preview

HO, HO, HO... A date for your diary - tickets for our popular

Audience with Father Christmas will go on sale

Monday 23rd September. Available online only at


Register for our E-news, or follow us on

Facebook or Twitter to receive updates.

Atkinson Action Horses in action!


Emma Tomlinson joined the Accounts team in

June, to work on the sales ledger activities. Emma

has recently moved to Yorkshire from Derbyshire.

Naomi Newton left the Farm Shop to join the

Estate Office team to work alongside Fay Walls and

Ed Bland. While Patrick Donaghy joined the Farm

Shop butchery team.

Finally at the end of July we welcomed Hannah

Cooke as Press & Communications Manager, and

Heather Jones as Business Development Manager to

the Marketing team.

Jane Glynn, HR Manager

WELCOME

There was cause to celebrate indeed, when

Anna Louise Mason, Assistant Curator, and

Gardener Karl Scarboro tied the knot at

Coneysthorpe Chapel on Saturday 22nd June.

Anna Louise, who is originally from Glasgow,

has worked at Castle Howard for nearly four years,

and Karl, who hails from York, for nearly two

years. They met in 2011 at the staff Christmas

party, and Karl took Anna Louise out for coffee the

following day at the Courtyard Café. So smitten

was he that he drove to Glasgow during the

Christmas holiday to see her, and met her off the

train at York station on her return.

Music at the wedding was provided by a nine-

year-old bagpiper, the son of Anna Louise’s best

friend, and by a small group of brass players made

up of members of the Shepherd Group Brass Band

and Karl’s family.

The couple honeymooned in Pittenweem, a

picturesque fishing village on the Fife coast. Anna

Louise said: “It was lovely and included lots of trips

to historic houses and gardens!”

WEDDING BELLE

Sarah Buckroyd of

the Estate Office left

her post in July, having

worked and (in her

own words) ‘played’ at

Castle Howard for

over 20 years.

Sarah reminisced

about her time at Castle Howard: “I have many

unique memories here; Mr and Mrs Simon

Howard’s wedding, the birth of Merlin and

Octavia, working with John Craven on One Man

& His Dog, and Garry Barlow on his Christmas

Special – filmed in July!

“Above all the special places, occasions and

events, it is the past and present people on the

estate, who form a unique fraternity, that I have

cherished most and thank for their friendship, fun,

and support over the years.”

Sarah is moving on to set up home near Bedale

with her partner Richard and their five children.

A FOND FAREWELL



Editor: Hannah Cooke, Castle Howard Estate Ltd, York YO60 7DA Telephone: 01653 648647, Email: [email protected]

The following events will take place between August and October. Visit our website www.castlehoward.co.uk for more details.

Wednesday 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th August WonderPhil Wednesdays! See page 8 Tuesday 13th August Craft & Produce Market in the Courtyard 10am to 4pm – admission free. Saturday 17th August The Great British Proms Spectacular with special guests The Overtones & The Military Wives. See page 6 Sunday 18th August Noughties Popfest with Minster FM The biggest pop concert of the summer! See page 6 Tuesday 20th August Craft & Produce Market in the Courtyard 10am to 4pm – admission free. Friday 23rd August Photography Course - An Introduction to Landscape with Chris Ceaser Saturday 24th August Sounds in the Grounds with Minster FM A one day family music festival. See page 6 Saturday 24th August to Monday 26th August Meet Geoffrey the Lion! Fun for children with Geoffrey our friendly mascot.

Tuesday 10th September Craft & Produce Market in the Courtyard 10am to 4pm – admission free. Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th September Wild About Wood festival at the Yorkshire Arboretum – www.wildaboutwood.org Friday 4th October Photography Course - An Introduction to Landscape with Chris Ceaser Saturday 5th October Annual Pass Holder Mausoleum Tour See Page 8 Tuesday 8th October Craft & Produce Market in the Courtyard 10am to 4pm – admission free. Friday 11th October From Bach to Bond - Charity piano recital with Emmanual Vass

Wednesday 30th October NEW 'Chills & Thrills' Family Halloween Spectacular. See page 10 October - date and time to follow Eat Yourself Young - talk with Elizabeth Peyton-Jones (www.epjheath.com) Join celebrity naturopath and food & health expert and discover how what you eat is fundamental to the way you look and feel. Visit our website for more details.

WHAT’S ON

REMEMBER TO FOLLOW US

www.facebook.com/castlehoward www.twitter.com/CastleHowardEst

Sunday 20th and Wednesday 23rd October Annual Pass Holder Open Day at the Yorkshire Arboretum Annual Pass Holders are invited to visit free of charge and discover more about the arboretum. Don’t forget to take your Annual Pass card with you. Open from 10am– 6pm on Sunday and 4pm on Wednesday. Visit www.yorkshirearboretum.org for visitor information.

castle howard · the site was chosen by nick cooke, forestry manager and is situated just by east...

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