Stay near a castle

Where to stay near Castle Howard

Yes, you can stay on the Castle Howard estate, though not inside the house itself. The estate runs seven self-catering holiday cottages in villages such as Coneysthorpe, a Lakeside Holiday Park with holiday homes, and a camping and caravan park. Holiday cottage guests get a free day's entry to the house and gardens.

Sandburn Hall, York

Stay at Castle Howard itself

  • Holiday cottages. Seven self-catering cottages sleeping two to six guests, in estate villages such as Coneysthorpe and Welburn. Guests receive one day's free admission to the house and gardens during their stay.
  • Lakeside Holiday Park. Holiday homes on the estate for short breaks or week-long stays, separate from the holiday cottages.
  • Camping and caravan park. Pitches for tents, campervans and caravans elsewhere on the estate grounds.

Historic places to stay near Castle Howard

Other places to stay near Castle Howard

These are ordinary hotels, guest houses and apartments close to the castle, not historic buildings. They are here for convenience.

The castle and the places to stay around it.

Map tiles from OpenStreetMap.

About Castle Howard

Castle Howard is a country house near Malton, North Yorkshire, built for Charles Howard, 3rd Earl of Carlisle. Building work began in 1699 to a design by the playwright John Vanbrugh, working with Nicholas Hawksmoor, and took more than a century to complete across the lifetimes of three earls. The house was built from east to west; by 1725 most of the exterior was finished, though the west wing was still missing when Vanbrugh died in 1726.

The 3rd Earl's son-in-law, Sir Thomas Robinson, finally completed the house by adding a Palladian west wing between 1753 and 1759, in a plainer style than Vanbrugh's baroque design for the rest of the building. Later work included the Long Gallery, decorated between 1801 and 1811, and alterations to the Chapel between 1870 and 1875, which added stained glass designed by Edward Burne-Jones. Historic England lists the building, recorded as Castle Howard and East Court, at Grade I; it was first listed on 25 January 1954.

On 9 November 1940, a chimney fire spread through the South Front and destroyed nearly a third of the building, including the dome, which collapsed into the Great Hall. George Howard and Lady Cecilia Howard restored the house after the war, and the dome was rebuilt between 1960 and 1962. The house remains occupied by the Howard family, now in its ninth generation, and is run today as a visitor attraction with a house, gardens and arboretum.

Visiting Castle Howard

Castle Howard is in Ryedale, North Yorkshire, a short drive from Malton and around 30 minutes by road from York, according to the estate's own website. At the time of checking (September 2026), the house was open daily from 10am to 4pm, with last entry at 3pm, and the gardens from 10am to 5pm.

Questions

Can you stay inside Castle Howard itself?

No, the house itself is not offered as overnight accommodation. The Castle Howard estate instead runs seven self-catering holiday cottages in villages such as Coneysthorpe, a Lakeside Holiday Park with holiday homes, and a camping and caravan park. Holiday cottage guests receive one day's free entry to the house and gardens during their stay.

Who built Castle Howard?

Castle Howard was built for Charles Howard, 3rd Earl of Carlisle, to a design by the playwright John Vanbrugh, working with Nicholas Hawksmoor. Building began in 1699 and took more than a century to finish; the 3rd Earl's son-in-law, Sir Thomas Robinson, eventually completed the house by adding a Palladian west wing between 1753 and 1759.

Is Castle Howard a real castle?

No, despite the name, Castle Howard is a country house rather than a fortified castle. Historic England lists the building, recorded as Castle Howard and East Court, at Grade I, describing it as a country house designed in Baroque style by John Vanbrugh, with a later Palladian wing, rather than as a defensive structure.

Can you visit Castle Howard without staying overnight?

Yes, Castle Howard is a day-visitor attraction with a ticketed house, gardens and arboretum. At the time of checking (September 2026), the house was open daily from 10am to 4pm, with last entry at 3pm, and the gardens open from 10am to 5pm.

Sources and checks

We checked these sources for this page. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

More castles