Looking at the inscription on the obelisk, you will find an awareness of this in the words written by the 3rd Earl of Carlisle, the moving force himself: “If to perfection these plantations rise, If they agreeably my heirs surprise…” he begins, and in doing so sets the agenda for all his descendants, myself included.
Those heirs are now more than mere Howards: they are everybody who comes here to visit, to enjoy Castle Howard and what it has to offer, and everybody who works here to ensure the pleasure and success of those visits.
While the house has been open to the interested traveller ever since it was built, we live now in a time when that openness is at its very core. My father, George, began that process, my brother, Simon, continued it. Vicky and I now have the exciting task of finding new forms of openness to satisfy both the wants of our visitors and the needs of the place.
Castle Howard began its existence as a conversation in a club between two men. That conversation has continued in countless forms ever since, with ever more people joining in. The job of a chairman is to control and direct conversation and that involves listening as well as talking, so please join in and get in touch.
Nick Howard