Route: Castle Howard
Area: North Yorkshire
Date of walk: 8th October 2015
Walkers: Andrew
Distance: 9.2 miles
Ascent: 800 feet
Weather: Sun and blue skies
It was a glorious morning as I arrived in the attractive village of Welburn and full of anticipation as to what lay ahead I walked out of the village, following a track in the direction of Coneysthorpe
Before long, a couple of the ‘outbuildings’ of Castle Howard came into view in the form of the Pyramid and the Mausoleum. I crossed over the lovely New River Bridge and followed a path along the edge of Castle Howard estate into the pretty village of Coneysthorpe
After leaving the village there followed a section beside the road known as The Stray, which is as straight as an arrow and leads to the entrance to Castle Howard, which dates back to the 18th Century. I bought a ticket for the grounds – there are over 1,000 acres of parkland to explore – and spent a wonderful couple of hours wandering around (although the maps page shows the route I took it’s best to wander around as your fancy takes you)
I didn’t have time to visit the house as well, so walked out of the grounds the way I’d come and carried along The Stray, turning off to join a track just before the Gate House. From here it was a short walk back to Welburn through beautiful countryside. A fantastic walk!
For other walks here, visit my Find Walks page and enter the name in the ‘Search site’ box
Click on the icon below for the route map (subscribers to OS Maps can view detailed maps of the route, visualise it in aerial 3D, and download the GPX file. Non-subscribers will see a base map)
Scroll down – or click on any photo to enlarge it and you can then view as a slideshow
Start of the walk in Welburn
I leave the village via this track
Looking back to Welburn
Entering the well named Pretty Wood
The first Castle Howard ‘outbuilding’ to come into sight - the Pyramid, built 1728
Heading towards New River Bridge, built c1740
The Mausoleum, begun in 1729 and which took over 12 years to build, and remains the burial place of the Howard family
I cross over New River Bridge
New River (which is a pond) from the bridge
Looking back to the Mausoleum from the other side of the bridge
The Temple of the Four Winds, finished in 1738 - not accessible from outside the grounds of the castle
Ray Wood is to my left and I’ll walk through there later, once I’ve entered the grounds of Castle Howard
I continue to circumnavigate the grounds, heading towards Coneysthorpe
Autumnal colours
Walking through Coneysthorpe - the start of a road section, but a pleasant one
I pass by the village green
As I walk beside The Stray, there are views towards Castle Howard
I pass by Great Lake
The 18th century needle, designed by Sir John Vanburgh, which marks the entrance to Castle Howard
Having bought my ticket to the grounds, I walk past Castle Howard
I make a beeline for the wonderful Atlas Fountain
South Lake
Looking back to the castle from the lakeside path
I enter Ray Wood to the left - a couple of hours ago I’d walked below this wall on my way round to the entrance to the castle grounds
Ray Wood
I follow the path downhill out of the wood
Walking towards Great Lake
Time to feed the inner walker at the Boathouse overlooking the lake
As I leave the grounds, I pass by the front of the castle
Retracing my steps to the needle
A last look back to the castle before I leave the grounds to start the walk back to Welburn
After a short road section beside The Stray I turn left here, just before the Gate House
The Mausoleum comes into view again before I turn right to head back to Welburn
Walking back to Welburn through a designated ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’ - I’ll drink to that
I pass by a tower near The Aviaries
Welburn ahead
Back in Welburn at the end of a wonderful walk
