There was some snafu with our tickets. As the train steamed out of the station, we discovered we were on the wrong train. The conductress was none too pleased when she radioed to the engineer to stop the train. She herded us out like cattle, almost pushing us and our luggage onto the platform. There was a huff; she shut the door, and the train steamed onward. Sam let fly a few expletives, which aroused the attention of the platform conductress. She was most apologetic. Now, we’re waiting patiently for the next train to Durham. I hope it’s the correct one, or we might end up back in D’Lo. (LOL!)
Due to the Queen’s funeral, York, both ancient and new, was, for the most part, shut down. We did get to see the Cathedral and attend Evensong. The Gothic style—is there any other architectural style that so enhances worship? I don’t think so.
On Sunday, I had a dream fulfilled. Forty years ago, the TV series, “Brideshead Revisited,” greatly influenced my then, young life. I promised myself that one day I would visit Castle Howard, where the series and subsequent movie adaptations were filmed. And now I have!
Walking into the columned entrance hall, I expected to see Charles and Sebastian smiling down at me from the gilded banister above. However, many of the castle’s rooms were nothing more than hollow shells. Naked brick walls and massive charred ceiling beams glared at you. Gouged parquet flooring peered up at you. Hovering above it all was the faint, vague scent of lost grandeur. In 1940, a raging fire engulfed one wing of the house, burning up through the dome, which collapsed into the Entrance Hall. One wing survived, as did much of its period furniture and paintings.
The gardens were amazing. The lichen-encrusted Atlas fountain was not playing, but it still didn’t disappoint. The Temple of the Winds was my favorite garden folly because it was here that Charles and Sebastian drank chilled champagne, ate strawberries, and contemplated their futures.
I’ve posted some snaps. Enjoy. We’re off to Edinburgh in the morning. And then…home. Big hug.
(Originally published September 20, 2022)
A medieval building in York.Little old me in the gardens with the garden side of Castle Howard in the background.Sam in front of the Atlas Fountain on a cloudy day! Moi mugging in front of the Atlas Fountain. “I’m not ready for my closeup, Mr. DeMille!” Hercules, me, and the sparkling rain. This path was lined with statues, all leading to the Temple of the Winds. Some tacky American tourist trying to look cool on the steps of the Temple of the Winds. He even removed the sign that said, “Do not climb steps. They are dangerous.” The magnificent Temple of the Winds. It’s what’s called a “folly.” It would have been complete if I’d had some Moet and Chandon champagne with strawberries.A bore with another boar on the grounds of Castle Howard. There was an exact copy of the statue on the grounds of Osborne House. The groundskeeper told me the statues were what we’d call “mail order” items. The Grand Staircase. We entered the Castle through a ground-floor door and walked up this staircase to the Long Gallery, lined with marble busts and statues.One of the statues in the Long Gallery. The fireplace mantle in the soaring domed Entrance Hall. It’s a miracle that it survived the fire. The Entrance Hall from the 2nd floor gallery. The reproduction of the dome painting by Pellegrini. The original was destroyed in the 1940 fire. The wall paintings on this staircase, which encompasses the Entrance Hall, show the damage from the fire. In “Brideshead Revisited,” starring Jeremy Irons and Anthony Andrews, a famous scene occurs here.A burned-out room that’s never been restored with pictures of what the room once looked like.The Garden Room contains the paintings created for the 1984 TV Series. The fire destroyed the originals.Charles and Sabastian in the Garden Room during the filming of the TV series. The Turquoise Drawing Room. The Red Dining Room. Another snap of the Red Dining Room. I loved the chandelier! The Long Gallery. I loved walking on the old floorboards. They creaked and moaned as I walked over them. So evocative of another time and place.The Gold Drawing Room. There is a marble statue in the Entrance Hall that survived the fire. The Entrance Hall roof was not replaced until the early 1960s, and the hall was opened to the elements.The Entrance Hall and the reconstructed dome. The frescoes on either side of the arch are original. The fire and the elements faded them but did not destroy them. The Chaple at the Castle. This room was featured many times in the TV seriers. Oops! That tacky American tourist is in trouble again, this time just outside the doors of Castle Howard’s private chapel. Thankfully, its marbled, frescoed walls and carved oak survived the fire.The Chapel has such stunning carvings and paintings.Just as I was leaving the Castle, I found my personal staircase—the one that led to the servants’ quarters. LOL!
