CHRISTMASSY LOCATION (AND NOT JUST CHRISTMASSY) TO VISIT NEAR YORK
I've always thought that the English people know how to make tourism out of dry stone. They manage to make a place, apparently trivial, seem much more interesting, investing and promoting everything they have the best. Unfortunately, the weather and prices put a bit of a damper on them and make travel lovers think twice before organizing a holiday in Great Britain. Even so, those who choose to travel to this country certainly have a choice when it comes to visiting interesting places.
When I say that the English know how to make tourism out of everything, I am also referring to Howard Castle, which is located in the northeast of England, near York, and is a popular tourist attraction only for people who live in the area. Having the same people as their target customers, at least a very high percentage, they came up with ideas to make them come back here every year.
One of the ideas consists in decorating the castle with Christmas ornaments. It is incredible how such a simple idea can bring huge profits to the owners of the castle and immense joy to the tourists who visit it. I admit, if the ticket price wasn't so expensive (for my budget), I would have gone every year, I liked it so much. The decorations are also changed annually, so what you will see in the photos of this article, you will certainly not see during your visit.
HOW TO GET TO HOWARD CASTLE:
The closest big airports are Leeds and Manchester. From there, the easiest way to get there is with a rented car, especially since I guess that you will not plan your visit to Great Britain just for a castle, so it will be useful for visiting other places as well. I leave a small guide for renting a car.
If you choose York as your departure city, there is a direct bus from the Avenue station to the castle. The bus is called Castle Avenue. I wrote a separate article about York, a beautiful city that should not be missed.
ABOUT THE CASTLE AND THE GARDEN:
The entrance price can vary depending on demand and can be between £18 and £25, for the garden and the castle. You can purchase a separate ticket only for the garden, without access to the castle. You can find many details related to booking the visit and schedule here. Within the Castle, there are several shops with various local products, such as gin, jams, flowers or souvenirs, as well as a restaurant and a cafe.
The castle is a true work of art, the construction of which lasted 100 years, from 1699 to 1799. However, a large part of the castle was built, both inside and outside, until 1725. Over time it had several owners, nowadays it belongs to a company founded by the Howard family.
In 1940, the castle went through less pleasant moments. A fire broke out due to an unattended fireplace and destroyed a large part of the southeast wing of the building.
The building is, in fact, a huge villa, a mansion built in the same as a castle was built many years ago. The English like to call them castles, although the building doesn't really meet the "standards" of a real castle. Clearly, the so-called Howard castle is not a fortification, being the only aspect that "gives it away".
The location can be visited both on the ground floor and on the first floor, being open to the public almost entirely. Inside the castle there is also a chapel that can be visited.
During our visit, it was very crowded, and the location staff tried to convince us not to enter certain rooms, suggesting that we come back in half an hour, after visiting the rest. The castle can be visited in one direction, so you will not be able to return if you miss entering certain rooms.
Every room is decorated for Christmas. These holiday decorations take you to a world, which I I normally see in Christmas movies, with a setting that you don't have access to in everyday life (of course, if you don't own such a palace)😁
The details of the rooms and the furniture are kept and can be admired all year round. To them are added Christmas decorations and lights, or a festive table is set up.
The festive atmosphere is accentuated by lit fireplaces with wood. The smell of burnt wood and the heat given off by it, along with the Christmas decorations, make you want to stay there forever. I was fascinated by the way they managed to recreate the Christmas atmosphere and what a difference a fireplace can make.
By far, my favorite room was the one with the huge Christmas tree. I later found out that there is a Christmas tree there every Christmas season. Also the diffused light of the room, the huge dome, subtly painted and the architecture of the interior, transport you to a magical world.
The only aspect that brings you back down to earth is the crowd of tourists waiting in line for a picture with the Christmas tree. And since I said about the queue for pictures, this is another plus that I give to Great Britain. People are very civilized when it comes to photos, they wait their turn, without getting into your frame.
Passing by the part that fascinated me and that made me write this article, we are heading to the outdoors. The garden also has some Christmas trees with lights, but there is nothing special, or something worth visiting during Christmas. I did not visit it in the summer, but it will definitely be more interesting if the weather is not gloomy, as it was in December, when we visited it.
The star is the artesian fountain, which dates from 1850 and has a diameter of 27 meters. The statue in the middle symbolizes Atlas from Greek mythology, who was condemned to support the sky and the earth on his back, the bronze globe representing these things.
Behind the fountain, there is a small labyrinth garden, which is green all year round.
ACCOMMODATION UNITS CLOSE TO HOWARD CASTLE:
Converted Luxury Stables - apartment accommodation unit. It has a garden, parking and bathtub in the room;
Sandburn Hall - accommodation unit rated at 4 stars, with double and family rooms. It has its own bar and restaurant, and parking and internet are included in the reservation price;
Hedgerow Lodge with Hot Tub - accommodation unit in a small house, container type, with a hot tub. It has a terrace, kitchen, and parking is included in the reservation price;
OTHER PLACES TO VISIT IN THE AREA:
- The North York Moors National Park is a very wild area of the United Kingdom. The best time to visit this place is in August, when the whole moor turns purple, due to the multitude of flowers. Here you have the opportunity to see red grouses, pheasants and other birds, but also wild animals. From York, you can book organized tours, tickets here.
- Scarborough is a town on the North Sea coast, one of my favorites when the weather is good. If you arrive here in winter, dress appropriately for the strong wind. In addition to a walk through the old center and the alley by the sea, you can also visit the ruins of Scarborough Castle;
- Whitby is a very touristic town, preferred by the British, especially for fish and chips. On weekends, this place becomes extremely crowded, so I recommend arriving here in the morning, spending 2-3 hours and visiting it on the same day as Robin Hood's Bay and Staithes. From Whitby, I also filmed a vlog that you can find it on my Youtube channel. I wrote a separate article about these 3 places. You can visit Whitby, along with other locations, as part of an organized excursion, details here;
- Leeds is a slightly less touristy city than York, but it deserves to be put on the bucket list. There you can visit interesting museums, admire the local architecture, or go shopping. Near Leeds is one of the most beautiful parks in England (at least in June, when the rhododendron blooms), the one at Temple Newsham.
- Manchester - the place you have to put on the list to visit, especially if you are passionate about football. Besides visiting the football stadiums and football museum, don't miss a city tour with the hop on hop off bus. Besides the football culture, Manchester is also known for nightlife;
- Yorkshire Dales National Park is a somewhat more rural and, in some places, a wilder area of England. It is the ideal place to enjoy nature and peace;
CONCLUSION ABOUT HOWARD CASTLE
Howard Castle is one of the most beautiful and festive places in England, which is worth visiting during Christmas. A vacation in this area of the United Kingdom can be an alternative to the classics of Budapest and Vienna. As an itinerary, you have the flight options shown above, with a visit to the city of York, from where you have a bus to Howard Castle. From York, you can book a train to Edinburgh, another absolutely gorgeous city that hosts one of the most beautiful Christmas markets. Besides, if you want to spend more time in the Yorkshire area, or nearby, you will certainly find enough places to visit so that you can spend even a week in the area.
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