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Harewood House

One of England's finest houses with close connections to the Royal Family.

Harewood, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS17 9LG

Harewood House, West Yorkshire, UK

Experience this house

History

Historic Houses members may benefit from reduced rates, or free entry on selected dates.
Historic Houses members may benefit from reduced rates, or free entry on selected dates.
for the latest information.
Accessibility

Wheelchair Hire
Wheelchairs can be hired from the House or Visitor Infomation in the Courtyard. There are five wheelchairs available to hire daily.

Read more about Harewood’s Access arrangements here.

Does our information need updating?
Let us know here

General History

The ground that Harewood House was built on was bought by Henry Lascelles in 1738, using money from the West Indian sugar trade. The money came from owning plantations, slaves, ships and warehouses, a fact that was pervasive throughout British society at the time, with many of the great institutions; the Church, banks, artistic and educational establishments – either created or greatly enhanced during that period.

Henry was involved in every aspect of the sugar trade, which might now be called vertical integration and however abhorrent the nature of his business, he was a very astute businessman, who became one of the richest men in England. His eldest son Edwin was born in Barbados in 1712 and received a classical education that Henry had not had. In 1738 they acquired the estates of Harewood and Gawthorpe, where Edwin would later build Harewood House. Henry, though, did not live to see it. He killed himself in 1753 and whilst Harewood House is full of portraits, including one of Henry’s brother Edward, who was the junior partner of their business enterprises, there is no image of Henry.

Art & Collections at Harewood House
Harewood House is home to an astounding collection of paintings, furniture and ceramics. Harewood has enjoyed a very special relationship with contemporary artists and craftspeople throughout its history.

Today Harewood is home to an astounding collection of paintings by masters of the Italian Renaissance, family portraits by Reynolds, Hoppner and Lawrence, and modern art collected by the current Earl and Countess. Edward ‘Beau’ Lascelles was a patron of JMW Turner, who came here as a young artist aged just 22 to paint the new house and its landscape. The family portraits were painted by the fashionable artists of the day and in the early 20th century the 6th Earl collected a number of Renaissance paintings.

for the latest information.
Accessibility

Wheelchair Hire
Wheelchairs can be hired from the House or Visitor Infomation in the Courtyard. There are five wheelchairs available to hire daily.

Read more about Harewood’s Access arrangements here.

Does our information need updating?
Let us know here
Terrace Garden. Harewood House,Yorkshire, UK. Early Autumn, September 2015.

Harewood: The Creation of a Country House – Members Lecture

Built by the Lascelles family rich from trade, in the mid 18th century, they built a Palladian Villa designed by the sober local architect John Carr, later embellished by Robert Adam. Here is an 18th century idyll set in its...

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Harewood House, West Yorkshire, UK

Harewood House

Harewood, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS17 9LG

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Harewood House AutumnHarewood House, Autumn

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