Brideshead…or is it?

I studied ‘Brideshead Revisited’ for A-level and it is a book I will never forget. The flamboyant, teddy bear-owning Sebastian (anyone who loves a bear is instantly popular with me!), the halcyon days… and then there was Castle Howard. When ‘Brideshead Revisited’ was broadcast on television in 1981, Castle Howard took centre stage as home of the Marchmain family and for many, including me, the house remains synonymous with Evelyn Waugh's iconic novel.

I love Castle Howard which I have been lucky enough to visit on several occasions. Although building work, commissioned by the 3rd Earl of Carlisle, began in 1699, the castle took over 100 years to complete and has faced changing fortunes over the years, including a devastating fire which broke out on the 9th November 1940. It is a stunning building, set in glorious grounds with so much to see and admire…and yet, this was not the building that inspired Evelyn Waugh!

That honour goes to Madresfield Court, a moated stately home, which played a significant role in nurturing the Arts and Crafts movement. Home to the Lygon family for 29 generations, it was the inspiration of Waugh’s ‘A Handful of Dust’ (where it was Hetton Abbey) and ‘Brideshead Revisited’, home of the Flytes. The description of Brideshead matches Madresfield, which Waugh often visited in the 1920s, making Malvern in Worcestershire high on my list of ‘Literary Locations’ to visit.

However, my youthful, romantic imagination will always think ‘Brideshead’ when I see Castle Howard…

Castle Howard,

York YO60 7DA