Harewood House

Harewood House Yorkshire's most vibrant country house with over 140 acres of stunning gardens and grounds and three incredible play areas. We think you‘ll be delighted!

A unique blend of history, heritage, art, and nature. Harewood sits at the heart of Yorkshire, one of the Treasure Houses of England, the house was built in the 18th century and has art collections to rival the finest in the land in the setting of Yorkshire’s most beautiful landscape. Harewood is just as much about today as it is about history. There are exhibitions of contemporary art, an award-w

inning educational department and over 100 acres of exquisite gardens. You can expect the unexpected at Harewood with special events and themed weekends throughout the season to surprise you. Whether you want to visit the House and its wonderful collections, relax in the Gardens or play on the Playground, come to Harewood.

Today, as THE OFFICIAL LEEDS WEST INDIAN CARNIVAL PAGE fills the streets once again, we’re throwing it back to our 2022 ...
31/08/2026

Today, as THE OFFICIAL LEEDS WEST INDIAN CARNIVAL PAGE fills the streets once again, we’re throwing it back to our 2022 exhibition, Arthur France: A Son of a Small Island, and a very special piece that was on display. 💙

Arthur France is the founder of Leeds West Indian Carnival, a pioneering cultural figure whose passion, vision and commitment helped establish Europe’s first Caribbean-style carnival in Leeds in 1967. Arthur recognised Carnival as a crucial component of Caribbean culture. After a carnival fête at Kitson College in Leeds in 1966, Arthur persuaded the United Caribbean Association to form a carnival committee. As a result, 1967 saw Europe’s first Caribbean-style carnival take place in Leeds.📍

Many of the now familiar elements were already in place, crucially the parade of Carnival Queens and their Troupes from Potternewton Park in Chapeltown to Leeds City Centre and back again on August Bank Holiday Monday. Leeds West Indian Carnival now attracts more than 100,000 people, making it one of the city’s most important annual cultural events.

For Arthur, Carnival is also an act of remembrance and a way to tell stories about African history. Every costume he creates is designed to tell a story, including ‘Queen Imanje’, made for the 50th anniversary of Leeds West Indian Carnival. 🎭️

Queen Imanje is one of the most powerful queen goddesses in the world. It is said that when her children were stolen from Africa and taken to the Caribbean, she travelled there to protect them so that they would not lose their true identity. She is a loving goddess and is revered for her nurturing, protective ways, but she is also a fierce warrior who always guards the safety of her people.

At the 2017 conference at Leeds Beckett University celebrating 50 years of Carnival in Leeds, Arthur France said:

“I’m passionate about being an African ... Your race comes before your nationality ... That great African continent is what drives carnival ... We are here today celebrating our forefathers and their emancipation ... We are a people full of compassion and love ... We are not too worried about receiving love, but we demand some respect."

Image description: A mixture of close-ups and full room shots of a vibrant carnival costume, ‘Queen Imanje’, is displayed on a mannequin in a grand room. The elaborate blue, white and silver costume features layers of shimmering fabric, large feathered elements, stars and ornate gold detailing. A photograph of the costume being worn is displayed on the wall alongside another image, while trophies and carnival memorabilia sit on the mantelpiece. A steel pan and chair are positioned in front of the fireplace, adding to the Caribbean carnival theme.

Looking for the best place to spend the long bank holiday weekend? ☀️🌦️Whether rain or shine, Harewood is the perfect pl...
29/08/2026

Looking for the best place to spend the long bank holiday weekend? ☀️🌦️

Whether rain or shine, Harewood is the perfect place to make the most of your bank holiday weekend. Explore the beautiful grounds, discover something new, enjoy a delicious bite to eat, or simply take some time to slow down and enjoy a day out surrounded by nature.

And if the British weather doesn’t quite cooperate, we’ve got you covered! 🌧️

If it rains continuously for two hours during your visit, you can claim a return ticket for a day of your choice within the next 3 months. Simply head to Visitor Information with your original receipt or booking reference, and our team will issue your ticket.

So whatever the forecast has in store, there’s no need to let a little rain stop you from making memories at Harewood. Plan your bank holiday visit and come rain or shine, we’ll see you there!

Image description: Aerial view of Harewood House, a grand multi-story stone stately home with classical architecture, set within formal gardens featuring symmetrical parterre designs with clipped hedges, fountains, and statues. Terraced steps lead down to expansive lawns, parkland, and dense woodland reaching rolling hills under a partly cloudy sky, conveying a calm and elegant summer scene

Happy International Dog Day!Dogs have always been part of family life here at Harewood 🐾These images of dogs are from th...
26/08/2026

Happy International Dog Day!

Dogs have always been part of family life here at Harewood 🐾

These images of dogs are from the 5th Countess's photo album. Dachshunds have been a favourite breed throughout the 20th century, but the Lascelles family have also owned Labradors, Spaniels, Poodles, Terriers, Collies and Weimaraners amongst others. There is a special cemetery on the estate where many of them are buried.

Some of their pets’ names, past and present, include: Frida, Islay, Minnie, Lulu, Hermia, Anna, Prim, Bell, Astra, Wizzie, Debbie, Floss, Luna, Dido, Cleo, Judy, Chablis, Arabella, Fudge, Ditto, Peggy, Pepper, Pinch and Jess.

And we’re excited to welcome plenty more four-legged visitors to Harewood for on the Farm, 12–13 September! 🐶

Set in the heart of Yorkshire, DogFest on the Farm is all about dogs doing what they do best, from sheepdog trials and working dog displays to have-a-go activities, open fields to explore, and plenty of opportunities to run, fetch and chase.

There’ll also be local food, Yorkshire makers and regional produce to enjoy, plus special guest James Martin, who’ll be hosting live cooking demonstrations and sharing practical dog nutrition advice in the Kitchen Theatre.

A weekend made for dogs and the people who love them. ❤️

Image description: Black-and-white photographs documenting dogs at Harewood, photographed throughout the 20th century. The images depict dogs in and around House, as well as across the Gardens and wider Grounds.

Strolling along the Archery Border🌳 The Archery Border is one of the most dramatic features of Harewood’s Terrace garden...
25/08/2026

Strolling along the Archery Border🌳

The Archery Border is one of the most dramatic features of Harewood’s Terrace gardens. Once a space where the Lascelles family tried their hand at golf and Edwardian ladies honed their archery skills, today it’s a living testament to the ever-evolving landscape of Harewood.

Originally planted with shrubs in the 1930s, it was transformed by Harewood House Trust in 1999 and filled with striking, exotic plants.

Bananas, gingers, yuccas, pineapple lilies, bottle brush, rice-paper trees, magnolias and ‘Devil’s Tobacco’ adorn the lower Terrace wall, presenting a rich array of unusual woody and herbaceous plants from all over the world.

The scale and exuberance of the planting scheme in the Archery Border, combined with its late flowering season, makes a visit to the Terrace in late summer to early autumn an essential part of the Harewood experience.

Good news! 🎉Due to popular demand, Cecil Beaton: Staging Icons at Harewood has been extended until 18 October.Don't miss...
24/08/2026

Good news! 🎉

Due to popular demand, Cecil Beaton: Staging Icons at Harewood has been extended until 18 October.

Don't miss this opportunity to step into the glamorous world of Cecil Beaton, the legendary photographer who captured some of the most iconic figures of the 20th century, from Hollywood legends and stars of the West End to the British royal family. 📷️

Book your visit and discover one of the 20th century's most influential image-makers before it closes. 🎟️

Image descriptions:
1 - A grey-walled room at Harewood House displays framed black-and-white photographs on both sides of an ornate doorway, with a dark wooden chest, books and a lamp in the foreground.

2 - Visitors gather inside the East bedroom featuring patterned wallpaper, antique furniture, lamps, luggage and a portrait on an easel.

3 - Framed black-and-white photographs from the Cecil Beaton exhibition hang on a dark grey wall, each illuminated against the dim gallery interior, with labels below.

4 - Princess Mary's richly embroidered white historic wedding dress lies across a bed in the East bedroom, surrounded by floral wallpaper, dark green curtains, artwork and soft lamps.

5 - Three black-and-white portraits displayed in black frames suspended by brass chains against a pale grey wall, with small exhibition labels beneath each work.

6- Three visitors sit with their backs to the camera as they look at a row of framed black-and-white Cecil Beaton photographs mounted on a dark grey exhibition wall.

Today, we join the rest of the world in marking UNESCO International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its ...
23/08/2026

Today, we join the rest of the world in marking UNESCO International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition.

Harewood House was built in the 18th century by Edwin Lascelles. Edwin, as well as his father, and subsequent generations of his family, were Caribbean sugar merchants and exploited thousands of enslaved African people to make their business profitable.

Harewood House Trust, the educational charity that runs Harewood House, Gardens and Grounds for the public benefit, strives to acknowledge and remember this abhorrent history and the individuals and communities impacted by slavery and all other forms of injustice. Using our platform as a cultural institution, we actively celebrate and collaborate with a diverse range of individuals and groups to ensure that Harewood is an ally for all artists, collaborators and audiences who have faced discrimination and inequality.

For example, this photograph by Paul Hodgson was commissioned to commemorate the groundbreaking music theatre production, Carnival Messiah, staged at Harewood in 2007. Developed by Trinidadian musician Dr Geraldine Connor, Carnival Messiah reinvented Handel’s Messiah to remember the bicentenary of the Abolition Act. The show brought together Classical music with the colour, sounds and costumes of Caribbean Carnival in a powerful celebration of creativity, identity and heritage.

Hodgson’s image, currently displayed in the Gallery, brings together imagery from the diverse traditions that inspired the production, Caribbean Carnival, Christian iconography, Western classical music and the carefully constructed beauty of an 18th-century English landscape. While the photograph references a classic view of Harewood, famously depicted by J.M.W. Turner, its setting at the Greystone carries a much older history. The Greystone is the most ancient site of human activity on the Harewood Estate, connecting the work with the deep history of the landscape in which it is situated.

Continued into comments.

Today, we join the rest of the world in marking UNESCO International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its ...
23/08/2026

Today, we join the rest of the world in marking UNESCO International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition.

Harewood House was built in the 18th century by Edwin Lascelles. Edwin, as well as his father, and subsequent generations of his family, were Caribbean sugar merchants and exploited thousands of enslaved African people to make their business profitable.

Harewood House Trust, the educational charity that runs Harewood House, Gardens and Grounds for the public benefit, strives to acknowledge and remember this abhorrent history and the individuals and communities impacted by slavery and all other forms of injustice. Using our platform as a cultural institution, we actively celebrate and collaborate with a diverse range of individuals and groups to ensure that Harewood is an ally for all artists, collaborators and audiences who have faced discrimination and inequality.

For example, this photograph by Paul Hodgson was commissioned to commemorate the groundbreaking music theatre production, Carnival Messiah, staged at Harewood in 2007. Developed by Trinidadian musician Dr Geraldine Connor, Carnival Messiah reinvented Handel’s Messiah to remember the bicentenary of the Abolition Act. The show brought together Classical music with the colour, sounds and costumes of Caribbean Carnival in a powerful celebration of creativity, identity and heritage.

Hodgson's image, currently displayed in the Gallery, brings together imagery from the diverse traditions that inspired the production, Caribbean Carnival, Christian iconography, Western classical music and the carefully constructed beauty of an 18th-century English landscape. While the photograph references a classic view of Harewood, famously depicted by J.M.W. Turner, its setting at the Greystone carries a much older history. The Greystone is the most ancient site of human activity on the Harewood Estate, connecting the work with the deep history of the landscape in which it is situated.
As an independent educational charity and accredited museum, Harewood is committed to continuing conversations around colonialism, slavery and their legacies through our artistic, educational and community programmes.

Image description: Three performers pose on the Harewood Estate with the House visible in the distance. On the left, a Black male performer with long dreadlocks stands on tall stilts, wearing a brown loincloth and strapped leg coverings, with arms outstretched. In the centre, a white male performer wears a bright red and blue costume with a military-style jacket and hat. On the right, a Black male performer in a black historical-style outfit and wide-brimmed hat stands on a large rock. He also wears a large, white sail-like accessory that fans out behind him.

Golden hour at Harewood, watching Mamma Mia! 🌅Heading to an Adventure Cinema screening here? Make a day of it and add a ...
22/08/2026

Golden hour at Harewood, watching Mamma Mia! 🌅

Heading to an Adventure Cinema screening here? Make a day of it and add a £5 upgrade ticket for full access to the House, Gardens and Grounds before or after the film.

And if spooky season is more your thing 👻🎃, tickets for our October Halloween screenings are now on our website. Don’t miss out!

Image description: A large crowd relaxing on a grassy field at Harewood in the evening, watching an outdoor screening of Mamma Mia! on a large screen. Colourful flags surround the cinema area, with rolling fields, woodland and a pastel sunset sky in the background.

Address

Leeds

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 6pm
Tuesday 10am - 6pm
Wednesday 10am - 6pm
Thursday 10am - 6pm
Friday 10am - 6pm
Saturday 10am - 6pm
Sunday 10am - 6pm

Telephone

+441132181010

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Harewood House posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category