Castles and historic properties

Peacocks strut across manicured lawns, children shriek with delight as they try to find their way out of fiendishly difficult mazes, and well-kept gardens dazzle year-round at England’s many historic houses and well-preserved castles. Once inside, enthusiastic curators bring history to life with their expert knowledge and often funny insights into the lives, loves, and artefacts of generations of inhabitants. Castle breaks give you more chances of bumping into the present owners of an English castle, many of whom still live in wings of the properties. Just don’t forget to retrieve your children from that maze before you head home.

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Keeping it in the family at Castle Howard

The Howard family has called Castle Howard home for 300 years but their house is your house as you explore one of Yorkshire’s finest historic estates.

Location: York, North Yorkshire

 

Be royalty for a day at Scarborough Castle

Take an audio tour around the Castle, enjoy breathtaking views from the headland of the North Yorkshire Coast and have tea in a historic building.

Location: Scarborough, North Yorkshire

 

Take a tour of the grand Burton Agnes Hall

Burton Agnes Hall is an Elizabethan stately home that has remained in the same family for over 400 years.

Location: Burton Agnes, East Riding of Yorkshire

 

Make yourself at home at Harewood House

This 18th century home is filled with fine art and surrounded by gardens and parkland that is home to many animals including flamingos and penguins.

Location: Harewood, West Yorkshire

 

Explore the home of William Wilberforce

Nestled in Hull’s Historic High Street is the family home of William Wilberforce waiting to be explored.

Location: Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire

 

Be crowned king of the castle in glorious Skipton

Exercise your princely skills at North Yorkshire’s marvelous Norman keep.

Location: Skipton, North Yorkshire

 

Explore the Norman fortress of Richmond Castle

Built to subdue the unruly North of England, Richmond Castle sits against the stunning backdrop of the Yorkshire Dales.

Location: Richmond, North Yorkshire

 

Go camping in the grounds of one of England’s finest stately homes

Take the kids camping on a child friendly holiday at Castle Howard near York, where a thousand breath-taking acres await for you to explore.

Location: Malton, North Yorkshire

 

Enjoy a family day out at Wentworth Castle & Gardens

Wentworth Castle and Stainborough Park houses some of the earliest gothic follies in the country.

Location: Barnsley, South Yorkshire

 

Discover ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ in Yorkshire

Tour Yorkshire writer and vet James Herriot's original home, recreated to look just as it did in the 1940s, in the picturesque town of Thirsk.

Location: Thirsk, North Yorkshire

 

Feel like a duke or duchess for the day but without the price tag

You don’t have to be as rich as a lord to visit East Riddlesden Hall, near Keighley, former home of the 17th century cloth merchant James Murgatroyd.

Location: Keighley, West Yorkshire

 

Discover North Yorkshire’s heirs and graces

Soak up centuries of style and grandeur as you discover North Yorkshire’s rich tapestry of castles, stately homes and gardens.

Location: Harrogate, Ripon, Masham and Knaresborough, North Yorkshire

 

Enjoy an afternoon tea in the house the Brontës loved

Enjoy a luxurious afternoon tea at the historic house the Brontës knew and loved, then take a tour of the real-life setting for Wuthering Heights.

Location: Bradford, West Yorkshire

 

Discover the beauty of the Yorkshire Dales

A photographer’s dream, the Yorkshire Dales has many moods – from wild and windswept to quietly tranquil – each dramatically beautiful.

Location: Yorkshire Dales National Park, North Yorkshire

 

Tales of intrigue, love and war at Ripley Castle

Discover over 700 years of English history through one of the country’s oldest families, and the fascinating castle that they call home.

Location: Ripley Village, North Yorkshire

 

Wander around one of England’s oldest medieval houses

Dating back to 1420, timber-framed Shibden Hall lets you peek into the fascinating life of Anne Lister, as made famous by the BBC ONE / HBO drama ‘Gentleman Jack’.

Location: Halifax, West Yorkshire

 

Fall in love with historic houses and gardens

Be warned! After a visit to the splendid historic houses and gardens around Barnsley, you may wish to move in and live the life of a lord or lady.

Location: Barnsley, South Yorkshire

 

Play croquet on the lawns of Brodsworth Hall

Enjoy a quintessential English experience with a game of croquet in the grounds of intriguing Brodsworth Hall, a stately home in Doncaster.

Location: Brodsworth, South Yorkshire

 

Bring a masterpiece to life at Conisbrough Castle

This romantic medieval castle inspired Sir Walter Scott’s classic book Ivanhoe. Travel back nearly 1,000 years on a visit to the magnificent property.

Location: Doncaster, South Yorkshire

 

Follow the trail of the Brontë sisters in Birstall

Visit Red House and Oakwell Hall in Birstall, both frequented by the Brontë sisters and which featured in Charlotte Brontë’s famous novel Shirley.

Location: Birstall, West Yorkshire

 

Explore the stunning medieval Bolton Castle

Experience the incredible atmosphere of Bolton Castle where many of its rooms give the feeling that their inhabitants have just walked out of them.

Location: North Leyburn, North Yorkshire

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