Castle Howard, Revisited

When the new film adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's novel "Brideshead Revisited" opens Friday, audiences will see an estate of unparalleled splendor: Castle Howard, the palatial 18th-century home and gardens where the movie was filmed.

Located in the northern English town of York, the home was also used as the setting for the television miniseries adaptation of the same novel that ran in the early 1980s. When the team behind the new feature film scouted a location for the cinematic version, they considered a number of spots. "We looked at houses all over Britain, Scotland, and Ireland," a producer of "Brideshead Revisited" Douglas Rae, said. "We kept coming back to Castle Howard."

Waugh's 1945 novel tells the tale of two young men, Charles Ryder and Lord Sebastian Flyte, who meet as students at Oxford. The plot unfolds at the majestic estate Brideshead, the home of Flyte's family, the Marchmains.

"The film is set in an era of privilege," Mr. Rae said. "The house conveys the sheer opulence, the grandeur. It makes such a statement about the Marchmain family. We wanted to capture that scale."

Castle Howard is an architectural gem built from the designs of Sir John Vanbrugh, a novice at the time. Vanbrugh was hired by the Third Earl of Carlisle, Charles Howard, whose descendents own, inhabit, and run the grounds of Castle Howard today. The project started around 1700 and construction lasted longer than the life spans of both Howard and Vanbrugh. By 1811, the house was complete.

The estate includes 200 buildings on 10,000 acres: Of those, 6,000 acres are farmland, 2,000 acres are woodland, and 1,000 are formal gardens. But the most striking feature of Castle Howard itself is the structure's dome. Though not a part of the original design in 1699, the dome was the first of its kind to be incorporated into a private English residence. A 1940 fire destroyed the castle's crowning jewel, but it was rebuilt some years later when a dedicated family member, George Howard, recognized its importance. To his thinking, the dome was the standout feature of the grand residence, and it would appear to be something completely different without it.

At certain places, the space inside the house is big enough to accommodate the 60-foot crane that was used to film interior, as well as exterior, scenes for the upcoming movie, which took two months to shoot. "We used a crane that allowed us to capture a cinematic feel. The miniseries didn't have that," Mr. Rae said. "We had a 60-foot crane that we used for shots inside the hall — and we weren't anywhere near the top."

Visitors to the property are able to walk through the Antique Passage, which appears to be an unadorned corridor linking one impressive room to the next. But upon closer inspection, it is lined with antique busts, statues, and tabletops acquired mostly by the Fourth Earl in his tour of Italy in the late 1830s.

The castle boasts an impressive picture collection, a large part of which was gathered by the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Earls. As seen in the statue collection, there is an overarching Italian theme, with works by Marco Ricci, Paolo Pannini, and Francesco Zuccarelli. At one time, Castle Howard had an apparently extensive Canaletto collection, but a number of pieces were mistakenly attributed to the artist and others were lost in a fire. Only four of the original 50 remain.

Today, Castle Howard is the home of the Hon. Simon Howard and his family. It is also a top tourist destination in northern England. And how does the Howard family feel about having visitors walk all through its garden and home? It certainly didn't reject the filmmakers.

"We are delighted that Castle Howard is one of the central players in the new film of 'Brideshead Revisited,'" Mr. Howard said via e-mail. "When 'Brideshead Revisited' was first broadcast on British television in 1981 it caused a sensation, and for years afterwards Castle Howard was identified with the fictional Brideshead Castle. With the release of a new film version another generation of viewers will associate this house with the home of the Marchmain family."

Visitors will now also find an exhibition dedicated to the presence that the "Brideshead" story has had at the castle during the past few decades. "Brideshead Restored" is located in three formerly abandoned rooms that were torn apart by the 1940 fire, then repaired for use in filming last summer. The exhibition shares stories from behind the scenes of the film, in addition to the way in which both "Brideshead" adaptations encouraged the Howard family to fully restore the castle to its former glory.

Castle Howard (011-44-16-5364-8444),the setting of the new film "Brideshead Revisited," is located in England's North Yorkshire County, in the town of York.

By car, Castle Howard is 15 miles northeast of York. It is also accessible by train. The nearest station is Malton, approximately 6 miles from Castle Howard. A $20 taxi ride will take you to the castle grounds.

The York Pullman Bus Company also runs frequent excursions to Castle Howard, which includes a stop at Yorkshire Lavender, a lavender farm with gardens and a tearoom.

During the high season (March through November), the house and gardens are open between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Visitors who come during the low season (December through February) can view only the gardens. Admission prices vary based on season and the visitor's age. For more information, visit castlehoward.co.uk.