Harewood House and Gardens
Harewood House is a ‘St Petersburg palace on a Yorkshire hill’, a huge stately home owned by the Queens cousin, the Earl of Harewood.
If a beautiful stately home set in the most amazing grounds interests you then a visit to Harewood House is a must, as it was voted England’s Large Visitor Attraction of the Year 2009.
Harewood House History
Harewood House was built over the space of 12 years from 1759 to 1771 for the Lascelles family, commissioned by Edwin Lascelles and paid for by the money made by his father Henry from the West Indian sugar trade.
The grounds in which the House is situated were designed by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown at the time of Harewood’s completion. A terrace was later added to the garden in 1884.
During both World Wars, Harewood House served as a convalescent hospital.
Harewood House Today
Visitors are able to walk around the grand Harewood House, one of the treasure houses of England, taking in the architecture of the building and opulence of the beautifully hand-crafted 18th century furniture.
Outside the House there is the Harewood Bird Garden which houses over 100 species of birds from around the world, over a third of which are considered endangered, and is one of England’s most important avian collections. The Bird Garden allows visitors to enjoy seeing many exotic birds in a specially created sympathetic habitat.
Harewood House also has four wonderful nature walks; these are the Terrace Garden Walk, Lakeside Walk, Rock Garden and Walled Garden Walk and the Adventure Playground.
Each of these nature walks differs in length and takes visitors around different areas of the grounds, so they can really get to see the full splendour of the estate.
Harewood House also has two cafes; the Courtyard Café and the Terrace Café which serve hot and cold food and beverages, as well as two ice cream stands which operate during the warmer months.
There are two shops at Harewood; one is a souvenir shop selling gifts and local produce, the other a toy store for children.
Visiting Harewood House
The opening times for Harewood House in the Open Season until the 1st November 2009:
State Rooms – 12.00pm – 4.00pm
Below Stairs & Terrace Café – 10.30am – 4.00pm
Terrace Gallery – 10.30am – 5.00pm
Gardens, Grounds & Adventure Playground – 10.00am – 6.00pm
Bird Garden – 10.00am – 5.30pm
Courtyard Café, Courtyard Shop & Toyshop -10.00am – 5.30pm
The Late Season is 7th November to 13th December 2009, when the House is open only on Saturdays and Sundays.
For complete times and admission prices, visit the Harewood House website.
How to find Harewood House
Harewood House is located seven miles north of Leeds city centre in the village of Harewood.
By Car: from Leeds take the A58 out of the centre and then the A61 Harrogate Road for just over eight miles. Once on the A61 near Harewood follow the signposts for Harewood House.
By Bus: from Leeds, you can get the number 36 bus to Harewood. This bus runs three times an hour from Monday to Saturday and twice an hour on Sundays.
Address:
Harewood House
Harewood
Leeds
LS17 9LG
Tel: 0113 218 1010