Long-lost room destroyed by 1940 fire returns as part of major renovation at Yorkshire stately home, alongside restored gallery and staircase featuring historic artworks and tapestries.
After a renovation of its interiors, country house Castle Howard in North Yorkshire is set to reopen a gallery, drawing room and staircase this spring.
Unveiled from 25 April 2025, its lost Tapestry Drawing Room has been restored to its original 18th-century state for the first time since a fire in 1940, which also destroyed its dome and more than 20 rooms in the house.
The renovation has included the reintroduction of the tapestries that originally hung in the room returned to their original positions.
Also to be revealed to visitors is its renovated Long Gallery and Grand Staircase, and a complete rehang and redisplay of the house’s collection of paintings, and sculptures.
The Long Gallery will contain Italian and Grand Tour paintings, including the Pannini capriccios of Rome commissioned by the 4th Earl. Portraits of previous generations of the Howard family, including works by Kneller, Lely and Hoppner, will be displayed throughout the gallery.
The restoration work is being continued by the present generation of custodians, Nicholas and Victoria Howard, with work led by architect Francis Terry and designers Remy Renzullo and Alec Cobbe.
Nicholas and Victoria Howard said: “The re-creation of the Tapestry Drawing Room is at the centre of our contemporary evolution. The evisceration of more than 20 rooms in the 1940 fire had the silver lining of once more allowing us to step into the creative process here. Spreading out from the Tapestry Drawing Room, we have re-purposed, re-hung, and re-decorated, re-vivifying the house that has refused to die.”
Simon Thurley, historian and former Chief Executive of English Heritage, added: “ If anyone doubted the ability of this greatest of houses to be reborn for a new generation, they should come and admire the sensitive but confident way the state rooms have been brought back to life.
“It is a remarkable achievement, worthy of the ambitions of Castle Howard’s first builder and designers some 350 years ago.”