Beyond York
“For a moment or two, I could see nothing, as the shadow of a cloud obscured St Mary’s Church and all around it. Then as the cloud passed, I could see the ruins of the Abbey coming into view; and as the edge of a narrow band of light as sharp as a sword-cut moved along, the church and churchyard became gradually visible… It seemed to me as though something dark stood behind the seat where the white figure shone and bent over it. I could not tell what it was, whether man or beast, I could not tell.”
Castle Howard
Castle Howard is a 300 year old, magnificent historic house, situated in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in North Yorkshire.
With three miles on a straight road, passing through two narrow stone archways, the drive to the house is impressive—it’s hard not to imagine approaching the house on horseback.
Today visitors enter this impressive hallway. While beautiful, the entrance designed to impress comes later in the tour.
If you remember Georgiana from the movie The Duchess, this is the bedroom of her first biological daughter “Little G.”
Georgiana’s first successful pregnancy resulted in the birth of Lady Georgiana Dorothy Cavendish in in July 1783. "Little G” would eventually marry George Howard and move into Castle Howard.
Ever wonder why in England the toilet is called a Water Closet (or WC)? The answer is against the back wall.
Back in the day, the very rich would go on a “Grand Tour” of Europe and bring back many treasures from their travels. The Antique Passage is a corridor lined with classical antique statuary, primarily Roman, accumulated by the many Earls of Carlisle.
The magnificent Great Hall, designed to impress all who entered the home.
The chimney was cleverly routed up the column to the right to allow for the opening above the chimney.
Vulcan, the god of fire, rests over the fireplace.
What happens when a band from Sheffield, England wants to film a Stanley Kubrick-esque music video? You travel just up the road to Castle Howard, of course.
In 2018 the Arctic Monkeys and crew filmed the video for their single “Four Out Of Five” off their “Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino” album at Castle Howard. You can watch the video below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71Es-8FfATo
The Great Hall and its dome.
Looking down on the Great Hall from halfway up the stairs.
The ceiling and dome from the second floor.
Looking out at the Atlas Fountain.
Brideshead Revisited was a 1981 British television series starring Jeremy Irons (in the center photo above) and Anthony Andrews.
The 2008 movie by the same name, starring Matthew Goode, Emma Thompson, and Michael Gambon, was likewise filmed at Castle Howard.
Castle Howard also appeared as Clyvedon House in Bridgerton.
The Turquoise Drawing Room
In the Long Gallery, they had a pianist playing while we toured—nice touch.
The Atlas Fountain
Amanda sometimes accuses me of trying to be Atlas—always attempting to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders.
The Baroque façade.
At the back of the house.
Goathland Train Station
The very first Harry Potter scene ever filmed was, ironically, the final scene of the first movie—Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
In the scene Hagrid says goodbye to Harry as he boards the Hogwarts Express near the Hogwarts Castle.
The train station used to film these scenes was Goathland in the North York Moors National Park.
The train station oozes with charm all on its own, but the Harry Potter connection makes it extra special.
The pedestrian overcrossing is so unique.
We were so excited to make it to this very special Harry Potter filming location.
Falling Foss Tea Garden
“Make time for a cuppa at Falling Foss Tea Garden. Tucked away in a hidden fold of the North York Moors—one of the most enchanting Tea Gardens in England.”
“The mighty roar of the winter fall
Races and chases around Midge Hall
A softer flow in spring time splashes
Reflecting in sunlight that flashes
And summer time is softer still
Water dancing in pools that fill
Then autumn strikes with blazing colour
And fallen leaves do twirl and flutter
Onwards over rocks and moss
Then finally crash down Folling Foss
No two days are quite the same
Where nature’s power holds the reign
As mere beings we are so smal
Beside this mighty waterfall.”
Falling Foss (a foss is a waterfall). Such a tranquil spot!
Whitby Abbey
On a prominent hill, overlooking the headland at Whitby, sits the magnificent ruins of Whitby Abbey.
Construction of a stone monastery started in the early 12th century, but nothing of this remains above ground.. The ruins we see today are from the church built between the 13th and 15th centuries.
In 1539, during Henry VIll's Dissolution of the Monasteries, the abbey was reduced to ruins and the monks dispersed. The wealthy Cholmley family became the site's new owners in 1555, turning some of the buildings into a grand house.
Touring the country has brought sharp focus on the combined damages inflicted by King Henry VIII’s rein (1539 Dissolution), the Elizabethan Royal Injunctions (1559), and the English Civil War (1642-1651). These destructive periods left in their wakes an incalculable loss of historical Catholic treasures. It’s difficult to reconcile that such massive loss came from internal tensions rather than external enemies, giving “you are your own worst enemy” new meaning.
Despite the staggering losses, the remnants of their bloodlust are deeply romantic abbey ruins like this.
Mysteriously, what you appreciate most is what is no longer present.
Somehow the ephemeral nature of even grand cathedrals speaks to the beauty present in imperfection and impermanence.
Whitby Abbey in its heyday.
Notice the old passageway.
Bram Stoker knew Whitby well and set part of his novel Dracula against the abbey's scenic ruins. The title character came from a book Stoker discovered in a library in the town of Whitby.
The novel starts with Dracula travelling from Russia to London on a schooner that becomes shipwrecked off the coast of Whitby.
He also drew inspiration from local legends of a ghostly black dog, and of the shipwreck of the Dmitri at Whitby, an incident recorded in a famous photograph in 1885.
There are bits and pieces of Whitby found throughout Stoker’s novel, including the famous 199 steps leading up to the Abbey. Dracula is shown to run up the steps after his ship is wrecked on Tate Hill Sands in the form of a dog.
A first edition of Dracula, signed by the author Bram Stoker in 1901. It was first published with its distinctive yellow cloth cover by Archibald Constable and Company in 1897, and cost six shillings.
Such a beautifully romantic place to wind up the day.
