Castle Howard On Film

Since the 1960s, Castle Howard has been used as a location for many film and television productions. The house, the beautiful grounds and wider estate are all ideal settings for costume dramas, feature films and documentaries. These pages have information on Castle Howard's starring roles on the big screen.

Death Comes To Pemberley (2013)

Adapted by Juliette Towhidi, the writer of Calendar Girls, the BBC filmed in various locations across Yorkshire. Starring Matthew Rhys and Anna Maxwell-Martin, the two week shoot in  July 2013 saw the interior of the house transformed into Pemberley with scenes filmed in the bedrooms and South Front rooms and Great Hall. The family feel of Castle Howard was ideally suited to portray Pemberley.

Brideshead Revisited (2008)

Ecosse Films' production of Evelyn Waugh's novel, directed by Julian Jarrold (Becoming Jane) and produced by Robert Bernstein and Douglas Rae together with Kevin Loader. The film has been adapted for the screen by Andrew Davies (Bridget Jones Diary, Bleak House) and Jeremy Brock (The Last King of Scotland). With Ben Whishaw as Sebastian Flyte, Matthew Goode as Charles Ryder, Hayley Atwell as Julia Flyte, with Michael Gambon and Emma Thompson as Lord and Lady Marchmain.    

Great Estates (2000, 2001)

A series of hugely popular documentaries about Castle Howard and other estates in England, that provided a fascinating glimpse into all aspects of life at Castle Howard indoors, outdoors and behind the scenes.


The Buccaneers (1994)

A BBC production of Edith Wharton's novel of the 19th century encounter between English aristocracy and wealthy American heiresses.  Because of their "new money" background, four American girls have difficulty breaking into the upper-crust society of New York. Laura Testvalley, the governess of one of the girls, suggests a London season and thus the young women set sail for England and the unsuspecting English aristocracy.  

Twelfth Night (1978)

A BBC production of one of Shakespeare's most popular comedies, and surprisingly the only time Castle Howard has been used for a Shakespeare play.

Brideshead Revisited (1981)

Granada TV's production of Evelyn Waugh's novel, starring Anthony Andrews, Jeremy Irons and Diana Quick, is recognised by many as one of the great costume dramas of all time. Although it is not certain that Waugh identified his Brideshead with Castle Howard, for many people the two buildings have come to epitomise a nostalgia for England before the Second World War.  

And,

Barry Lyndon (1975)

Directed by Stanley Kubrick, based on the novel by William Thackeray.  Redmond Barry is a young, roguish Irishman who's determined, in any way, to make a life for himself as a wealthy nobleman. Enlisting in the British Army, fighting in the Seven Years War in Europe, Barry deserts from the British army, joins the Prussian army, gets promoted to the rank of a spy, then becomes pupil to a Chevalier and con artist.