This book is the first complete study of the circumstances which led to the building of Castle Howard, one of the greatest and best-known English country houses. It describes how and why Charles Howard, third earl of Carlisle, decided to build it; how the architect Sir John Vanbrugh received his first commission; how the building was paid for and where the money came from; what the original interiors looked like; how the gardens and park were laid out; and the decision taken to build the first classical mausoleum in England, designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor. It relates the physical appearance of the architecture to the hopes, desires and personalities of those involved in the building and makes it possible to look at the house in the way that it was intended to be seen by visitors in the eighteenth century. The Building of Castle Howard should appeal to anyone who is interested in eighteenth-century architecture, in the history of gardens, in country houses, and in a historical detective story of a house which Sir John Vanbrugh was determined should be 'the top seat and garden of England.'

In keeping with the grandeur of the magnificent house, the grounds at Castle Howard are designed on a heroic scale. First laid out in the early years of the 18th century, the 1,000 acres of gardens are dotted with statues, lakes, and fountains, and delightful walks reveal hidden glades and breathtaking views. With many terrace walks and lakeside paths, memorable sights include the Atlas Fountain and the Temple of the Four Winds. Set within the walled gardens, the rose garden contains 2,000 modern roses of all types, including David Austin's English roses, making this one of England's most comprehensive collections. Set on the site of an ancient woodland, Ray Wood -- a rare combination of the planter's art and botanical science -- holds one of the most extensive plant collections in private hands in Europe. A more recent development is Castle Howard's Ornamental Vegetable Garden, known as the Potager, on the site of the House's original kitchen garden. This book of the extraordinary 18th-century gardens of one of England's finest historic houses through the seasons features a foreword by the Hon. Simon Howard, who lives at Castle Howard.

'Paddy Rossmore: Photography' records half a century of the travels made by Lord Rossmore and his companions the Knight of Glin, Desmond FitzGerald, and Mariga Guinness of the Irish Georgian Society. The visual record made by Rossmore provides a unique archive dedicated to preserving the landscape of a bygone era.0With accompanying essays by fine art historian Robert O'Byrne, Rossmore's photographs capture the bittersweet beauty of an uncertain era for Ireland's architectural heritage, with many of his subjects now fallen to ruin, and others enjoying restoration and new life in modernized Ireland.

"In explaining why Vanbrugh's buildings look the way they do, Hart allows his novel architectural forms to be understood for the first time as expressions of the visual and psychological theories of his friend and fellow Whig Joseph Addison."--BOOK JACKET.