By Steve Bergsman
I started reading the books of the English writer Evelyn Waugh just a few years ago when I discovered his dry British humor and sardonic observations in such books as “Scoop” and “Vile Bodies.” I never picked up his most popular novel, “Brideshead Revisited,” however, for two reasons: It was a more serious turn of literature for Waugh, and I had seen the popular “Masterpiece Theater” production starring Jeremy Irons when it appeared on U.S. television in the early 1980s as well as the more recent cinematic production starring Emma Thompson.
Both productions used the same manor house, Castle Howard outside York, England, as the location for what cinematically was called Brideshead. Although it is still in use today as the home of Simon Howard and his family, the mansion is open for visitation. The day I was there, the parking lot was full of people who had come to walk through the extensive grounds and gardens, to visit an extraordinary mansion with its great art, and to see a home so closely associated with “Brideshead Revisited” and its cinematic incarnations.
When I asked a tour guide whether Castle Howard was the location Waugh had in mind when he wrote or the association came later, his response was, “Certain references to “Brideshead” in the book suggest this home was the inspiration for the fictional manse, but there is no record of Waugh ever visiting Castle Howard before writing his book.”
The real Castle Howard, as opposed to the fictional Brideshead, boasts a life worthy of a good book. It was designed in 1699 by Sir John Vanbrugh, a playwright who had never designed a home, and it took more than 100 years to complete. In 1940, a fast-moving fire destroyed the manor’s magnificent dome, numerous rooms and artwork that was priceless — nine Canalettos disappeared in the conflagration. The house was then boarded up.
George Howard returned home after service in World War II and decided to restore the family property. Much of the restoration has been accomplished, including the dome, but there are still rooms and spaces undone — and that is one of the reasons Granada Television in 1981 and Hollywood in 2008 came calling. They were able to use the empty spaces to create fictional Brideshead rooms while using the remainder of the home, exterior, grounds and gardens for other shots.
My iconic memory of both cinematic versions of the story is the first time the protagonist, Charles Ryder, arrives with Sebastian Flyte, his university friend, to Flyte’s home and sees the grandeur of the mansion for the first time.
A two-lane road cuts through grounds of the estate for what seems like a mile or more, then passes through gates in the various walls before the building, partly obscured by trees, appears in the distance. Today visitors enter through a ticket office that was once the property’s stable and courtyard. Once through the gates, however, in the distance sits Castle Howard in all its glory. It’s a five- to 10-minute walk to the home, depending on how fast one walks and whether one is diverted by the walled gardens. In the center of the formal gardens sits the Atlas Fountain, an important venue in both film versions of the “Brideshead” story.
The entryway to the home is at the head of the wing to the right of real main entrance.
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This is a good place to start because the stairwell leading up to the second floor is lined with the grand portraits of the first six Earls of Carlisle. It was the third Earl of Carlisle who built the castle, which appears in the background of his painting. The last Earl of Carlisle to live in the home was the ninth. He died in the 20th century, and through complicated family bequests, the home ended up with the Howard family.
The first actual room one enters is the bedroom of Lady Georgiana, Countess of Carlisle, who was pregnant every 18 months from 1802 to 1825. The room adjacent to the Georgiana bedroom was originally the dressing room. Now it is a bedroom in the style of 1884, when it was redecorated by the ninth Countess of Carlisle. The furnishings look to be original, and a painting by Gainsborough hangs on the wall.
The artist with the most works of art in the home is Mario Ricci, a Venetian landscape artist who was commissioned to do work at Castle Howard during the years 1709-1710. Probably the second most exhibited painter is George James Howard, who was also the ninth Earl of Carlisle and resident of the house.
Many of the paintings at Castle Howard were acquired by Frederick, the fifth Earl of Carlisle. In 1798, he and two other patrons acquired the Italian paintings from the Orleans collection; among the pictures exhibited were Titians, Raphaels and Leonardos. A number of these paintings have since been donated to the nation.
The Castle Howard collection is still first-rate. As I wandered through the rooms, I saw paintings by some of England’s greatest artists, including Gainsborough and Constable, as well as works by Hans Holbein, Joshua Reynolds, Rubens and Canaletto.
The artwork is just a part of the home’s attractions. Antiquities, Roman sculpture and period furniture are also on exhibit. I had to keep reminding myself that people actually live in this house.
A key plot point for Waugh’s hero — apart from his affairs with the siblings — was his deep regard for the house itself. After being turned away from the property by the stern Flyte matriarch, Ryder doesn’t return again until the war, when the home is being used by the British army and he finds himself stationed there.
Ryder’s love for Julia is resurrected after the war. In real life, the house and grounds, too, were resurrected post-war, a happy ending for the fictional Brideshead and the non-fictional Castle Howard.
IF YOU GO
Unless you’re a guest of the Howards, the best option is to stay at a nearby bed and breakfast. I chose the No9 Luxury Bed & Breakfast in Pickering, about 15 minutes away, where I was greeted with a tray of tea and cakes when I arrived. It’s a great location because you can easily walk into the village for dinner: www.no9pickering.co.uk.
Steve Bergsman is a freelance travel writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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