Regency Estates: Harewood House

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Set among the majestic countryside of West Yorkshire, Harewood House was the ostentatious display of wealth in the Georgian era of the first Baron HArewood, a wealth slave and West Indies plantation owner. Harewood House was designed by John Carr and Robert Adam, with extensive grounds designed by Capability Brown.

HAREWOOD HOUSE This magnificent and princely mansion stands in the centre of an extensive park and from its elevated position commands extensive views of the surrounding richly wooded country It was erected by the first Lord Hare wood then Edwin Lascelles Esq the foundation stone being laid by him March 23rd 1759 The designs were by Messrs Carr and Adams two of the most celebrated Architects of that period The length is 248 ft 6 in width 85 ft and height 62 ft The whole of the stone of which it is built was furnished from a neighbouring quarry It was finished in the year 1771 and old Gawthorpe Hall was immediately after pulled down Of late years it has undergone most extensive alterations both internally and externally About the year 1843 the exterior was considerably im proved from designs by Sir Chas Barry The wings were raised the entire roof was surrounded with Corin thian balustrades and the magnificent terrace garden was made In the centre of the north front is a handsome Mr John Carr born at Horbury near Wakefield 1721 twice Lord Mayor of York rose to the highest eminence as an architect His practice was very considerable in Yorkshire and the adjoining counties where he erected many stately mansions and other public buildings Harewood House is one of his best works He died at his residence Askam Hall Yorkshire 22 Feb 1807 Mr Robert Adam a celebrated Scotch Architect born at Kirkaldy in Fifeshire 1728 He speedily rose to great eminence in his profession was appointed architect to the King Lord Mansfield's mansion at Caenwood Middlesex and Luton House the seat of Lord Bute are among the best of his works Returned MP for the county of Kinross in 1768 and died in 1792 interred in Westminster Abbey pediment containing the arms of the family supported by six Corinthian columns 30 ft in height which compose the entrance from a flight of steps to a noble hall of the Doric order The south front hath still superior excel lence and its apparent greater elevation gives it an appearance of the most imposing character A noble double flight of steps connects the terrace with the library All the rooms are large elegant and costly several of them having been beautified at a great expense in the years 1851 and 1852 by Trollope of London Most of them are adorned with busts paintings and other works of art but the gallery deserves special mention This room extends across the whole west end of the house and is 77 ft long 24 broad and 21 high The ceiling is embellished with paintings on mythological subjects by Rebecchi The walls are adorned with family portraits by Hopner Sir Joshua Reynolds Sir Thomas Lawrence and other eminent artists while around the room is arranged on tables stands and cabinets the most valuable and costly collection of antique china in England The dining room must be noticed for the two presentation portraits which it contains and which will shortly be graced by a third The first is that of Henry the second Earl of Harewood a full length portrait by Sir Thomas Lawrence At the bottom is the following inscription Painted by Sir Thomas Lawrence PRA This Portrait of the Right Honble the Earl of Harewood when Viscount Lascelles was presented to the Countess of In 1855 the tenantry being desirous of testifying their love and esteem for their landlord the late lamented Earl presented him with a full length portrait of his Countess by Richmond their subscriptions amounting to the sum of 777 Harewood by a numerous body of the freeholders of the county of York in testimony of their deep sense of his public services during the time of his representing that county in Parliament and as a token of respect for his distinguished worth The second is a portrait of Henry the third Earl of Harewood by Francis Grant RA This is a colossal picture representing the late Earl on horseback in hunting costume and is regarded as a most excellent likeness The inscription is as follows This portrait of Henry 3rd Earl of Harewood was pre sented to him by the members of the Bramham Moor Hunt as a token of their gratitude to his father and himself for their kindness and liberality in keeping the hounds January 18th 1848 The Park of nearly two thousand acres is probably one of the most beautiful in the kingdom There are very few places indeed where nature has been so lavish towards beautifying the landscape as at Harewood and where art has been so successful in embellishing and adorning nature's work Undulating fields and sloping hills sequestered dales and rippling streams are some of the picturesque varieties of this charming spot The gardens and pleasure grounds were laid out by Mr Brown pro bably one of the most eminent of our English landscape gardeners The original contract for this one object is Lancelot Brown best known by the familiar sobriquet of Capability Brown born in Northumberland in 1715 and from being originally a kitchen gardener raised himself to the highest pinnacle of fame as a landscape gardener and improver of grounds in which latter capacity he was regarded as the oracle of taste He also acquired no mean reputation as an architect and erected several mansions for the nobility His arrange ment of the plantations pleasure gardens & c at Harewood is generally considered one of his best undertakings and in several standard works on landscape gardening is regarded as a model stated to have been 16,000 continuous improvements have however greatly augmented this amount and it may now be regarded as one of the best laid out parks in the kingdom The kitchen gardens stables & c are on a scale com mensurate with the dignity and splendour of the house the former abounding with every convenience for produc ing the finest fruits flowers and exotics The lake covering an extent of nearly fifty acres was made or rather enlarged about the year 1775 it is a charming sheet of water and adds a beauty and grace to the whole scene This brief description of the house would be incomplete without some account of the Visit of Her Majesty Queen Victoria in the year 1835 and that of the late Emperor of Russia in the year 1816 As these are of much interest and importance the following particulars are appended Visit of the Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia December 16th 1816 His Imperial Highness arrived at Greaves Hotel in Leeds on Monday evening where the whole retinue remained during the night Baron Nicholai Sir Wm Congreve Generals Kutusoff and Woronsoff Messrs Clinkar and Mansell Adju tant Perowski and Dr Creighton his Imperial Highness's Physician were the chief attendants the whole comprised about eighteen persons On Tuesday morning the young Prince and his suite viewed the Cloth Halls the extensive woollen manufactory of Messrs Wormald Gott and Wormalds one of our principal flax spinning mills and the great iron works of Messrs Fenton Murray and Wood About half past three they departed for Harewood House They arrived there about five and were received at the grand entrance by the noble Earl and by Lord and Lady Lascelles the servants in their state liveries lined the hall and his Imperial Highness was ushered into the saloon by the venerable Earl and introduced to the numerous party of nobility and gentry assembled on the occasion and afterwards conducted to his apartments At seven o clock dinner was announced The costly service of gold plate was in use and the whole arrangements were of the most splendid and even princely description but with entire regard to true old English hospitality A grand concert in the gallery under the direction of the noble Earl's principal musician with his Lordship's band the church choristers & c followed and the glee of the evening was maintained with uninterrupted eclàt The programme as follows is taken from the books of the Harewood Musical Society Henry IV O Father whose Almighty Power Overture Martini Handel Chorus Song Sound an Alarm Handel Chorus We Hear Handel Song O Liberty Handel Duett Come Ever Smiling Peace Handel Trio Disdainful of Danger Handel Recit and Air Last Words of Marmion Grand Chorus Glory be unto God Haydn PART II MS Grand Symphony Gyrowitz Portuguese Hymn Song In Tattered Weeds Chorus Ballad Fixed in His Everlasting Seat Bewildered Maid Handel Chorus Let the Celestial Concerts Handel Duett Grand Chorus Handel O Lovely Peace Hallelujah England and her Brave Allies God Save the King Lord The Concert was full and complete about 50 performers in all Harewood sent his thanks by Mr White the Conductor to the performers and the Grand Duke expressed his surprise at meeting with so complete a performance The following morning the Earl of Harewood conducted the whole assemblage through the beautiful village and pleasure grounds to the ancient castle and church at which His Imperial Highness expressed his most unqualified approbation and delight but peculiarly so on seeing every cottager busily engaged in some work of usefulness or improvement on his Lordship's estate Not less than 200 we hear are regularly employed in this manner in fact every labourer in the village wanting work is instantly set upon it This was an establish ment as His Imperial Highness very pointedly remarked worthy an English Baron worthy every great man's imitation such as merited his own adoption at home The young Prince seems to be completely on the wing active in seeing everything and zealous for the adoption of English comforts So familiar indeed was His Imperial Highness with the numerous labourers that he took the spade from one of them and planted several young oaks in a most expert manner After the gratifying promenade the party partook of an early dinner With the utmost regret that the visit could not be longer protracted His Imperial Highness took his leave on Wednesday afternoon and proceeded to the George Inn York On Thursday His Imperial Highness attended the morning service at the cathedral and the travellers then proceeded to Inverary the seat of the Duke of Argyle Leeds Intelligencer Visit of the Duchess of Kent and the Princess Victoria to Harewood House on Saturday the 12th September 1835 taken from the Leeds Intelligencer of Saturday 19th September 1835 On Saturday morning last their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Kent and the Princess Victoria left the Palace of Bishopthorpe where they had been sojourning with the Archbishop of York during the Festival on a visit to the Earl of Harewood at Harewood House The Royal Party arrived at a few minutes after 1 o clock and were received on alighting by the Earl and Countess of Harewood and several members of the noble Lord's family A numerous party of spectators from Leeds and the surrounding villages were assembled in front of the entrance hall to witness their arrival and the Harewood troop of the Yorkshire Hussars commanded by the Hon W Sebright Lascelles was drawn up in front of the mansion to do honour to the Royal Party The bells of the village church were also kept ringing from an early hour in the morning Amongst the members of their Royal High nesses suite were the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland the Baroness Litzen Lady Caroline Jenkinson Miss Harcourt Lady Flora Hastings Sir John Conroy & c Shortly after their arrival the Royal Party and the members of Lord Harewood's family to the number of twenty and up wards partook of a very splendid luncheon which was served up in the music room and in a little time afterwards the Duchess of Kent the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland the Earl and Countess of Harewood and some of the ladies of the Royal suite took a carriage airing through the domains of the noble Earl but the Princess Victoria was too much fatigued to join the party In the evening a very numerous company comprising the immediate relatives and personal friends and neighbours of the noble Earl who had been invited for the purpose of rendering due honour to the heiress of the throne of these realms dined at the mansion The dinner was of the most sumptuous kind It was served up in the gallery which was laid out in the most superb style the tables almost literally groaning beneath the weight of the gold and silver services of plate with which they were loaded Some of the pieces of gold plate at the principal table were as heavy as person could carry A great many persons were admitted to see the arrangements and they were certainly on a scale both as to splendour and extent rarely witnessed Covers were laid for about 130 and in addition to their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Kent and the Princess Victoria we understand there were present the Earl and Countess of Harewood the one Duke and Duchess of Northumberland Lord Viscount and Viscountess Milton Archbishop of York and Miss Georgiana Harcourt Lady Caroline Jenkinson Lady Flora Hastings Baroness Litzen Sir John Conroy Mr Berkeley Portman and Lady Emma Portman the Hon William Sebright and Lady Caroline Lascelles Hon Henry Lascelles Hon Edwin Las celles Hon Arthur Mrs Lascelles and Miss Brooke Charles Warburton Esq and Mrs Warburton Lord and Lady How den Col and the Hon Mrs Lane Sir Charles Ibettson Bart Sir John VB Johnstone Bart and Lady Johnstone GL Fox Esq C Wilkinson Esq Rev Mr and Mrs Ridley Col Markham Miss Holbeach Mr and the Hon Mrs H Rams den Benjamin Gott Esq John Gott Esq Rev Mr Dayrell Rev Robert Markham Mrs and Miss Markham Mr and Mrs Wharton Mrs Maxwell Rev Jacob Marsham Rev George and Mrs Lewthwaite Rev WA Beckwith Lord and Lady Stourton and the Hon Miss Stourton Rev Thomas Mrs and Miss Barnes Rev Ayscough and Mrs Fawkes Randall Gossip Esq and Mrs Gossip Hon Sir EM Vavasour Bart and Miss Vavasour Sir John and Lady Lowther JH Lowther Esq MP and Miss Lowther Richard York Esq Edwd York Esq John York Esq and Mrs York William Beckett Esq TL Fairfax Esq and Mrs Fairfax Mr T and the Misses Fairfax Rev D and Mrs Markham Mr and Mrs Fenton Scott William Prest Esq TD Bland Esq Hon Mrs Bland and Miss Bland Rev E Duncombe Hon and Rev W Herbert Mrs and Miss Herbert Mr and Lady E Ashe Mr Duncombe Rev B Eamonson Major Gen Sir H Bouverie GCB and Lady Bouverie Rev George and Mrs Fenton Lady Caroline Fox Hon and Rev AH Cathcart and Miss Cathcart George Banks Esq WRC Stansfield Esq and Mrs Stansfield W Hatfield Esq Rev A and Miss Marsden Mr Marsden Mr Gibbs RH Roundell Esq High Sheriff Major and Mrs Wyndham Mr and Mrs Dyke Hon Col Caradoc Christopher Beckett Esq & c & c The royal and noble party sat down to dinner at six o clock and soon after ten the company began to separate Jones, J. (1859). The History and Antiquities of Harewood: In the County of York, with Topographical Notices of Its Parish & Neighbourhood. United Kingdom: Simpkin, Marshall, & Company.

To check out Harewood today: Harewood House – Enjoy great family days out and unique art exhibitions in one of Englands best historic houses.

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