A huge amount of work has been going on behind the scenes this winter and I am very much hoping it will bring some excellent, new things for you to see and do in the coming season. There has been so much change. Read on!

As 2016 marks the tercentenary of the birth of Capability Brown, we will be opening up the South Front to allow you to see the House and parkland from a different perspective. You will be able to have a closer look at the foundations of Gawthorpe Hall, the medieval manor which pre-dates Harewood House.

The House itself is naturally one of the best viewing platforms to see Brown’s amazing work. We will be making sure this is well interpreted through a series of exhibitions and displays providing both a historical and contemporary context. Please see inside for more details.

The House has been very busy over the winter period hosting a large ITV production. Filming is an important part of our income and we will have updates about what we’ve been working on this winter soon.

We have begun a three year programme of development in the Bird Garden which will re-launch this much loved area of Harewood.. We are developing a Himalayan theme within the bird collection and plan to introduce several bird species from the region later this season. This will sit very closely with the many plants, trees and shrubs that can be seen in our own Himalayan Garden. Alongside this work, we are creating a strong education and conservation message to best interpret the birds on display.

Across the wider Estate, Harewood has introduced many successful conservation initiatives. We felt it was important to show you some of these projects through fresh interpretation. Plans are in place to introduce this additional interpretation throughout the season. Restored areas of the Bird Garden will be devoted to indigenous species of birds, mammals and insects. We are also introducing a new minibeast trail too!

Not only will we be portraying our message about British wildlife, but also the importance of conservation worldwide. There will be a strong message about critically endangered species across the globe, and we will be advising visitors about how they can do their bit supporting animal conservation projects. Last but not least, our “old favourites”, the penguins, flamingos, owls and parrots will be better displayed and we will be telling you much more about them.

I hope that this project will create considerable interest and there will be opportunities for everyone, adults and school children, to get involved and engage with the Bird Garden at several levels.

For the first time we will be offering a Farm Experience geared to our younger visitors. There will be rabbits to pet, donkeys, goats and pigs, and maybe even alpacas! Please bring your children and grandchildren to see this exciting new attraction.

Our Visitor Information Centre and Visitor Experience Team are moving from the car park to the eastern side of the Courtyard where it will be co-located with the Gift Shop. The former space occupied by the Gift Shop will become overflow catering space on busy days. The Courtyard will be buzzing with things to see do and eat!

The old Information Centre is being redeveloped into an unmanned satellite Information Point which will be staffed on busy days. A new Yorkshire Dales ice cream kiosk is opening alongside the Yorkshire Larder and we hope that this will be popular with those who wish to picnic and play games on the North Front.

Our boat, The Capability, will be sailing again! Please check our website for details of the sailings.

There is much going on, exhibitions, events, new attractions, our second hand bookshop and last but not least the Adventure Playground. Please see inside this letter for the various details you may want and I really look forward to welcoming you back this year.

This winter, a mammoth effort has been made to modernise Harewood’s Bird Garden and to open up previously closed areas. The Bird Garden has been at Harewood since 1970 and needed a great deal of attention! Every member of Harewood’s team has been involved; from Gardens to Education.

Tree and shrub removal

The project, which is part of a three year development plan, has seen a great deal of tree work undertaken. Tonnes of overgrown trees and shrubs have been removed, reopening views across the Lake. It has taken 8 Grounds staff plus 10 volunteers 5 months to make this transformation happen. Visitors will notice the new landscaping forming part of this work. This is an ongoing project with more to come throughout 2016.

The aviaries have also seen changes. Overgrown ivy has been removed and the interiors have had a spruce ready for the breeding season.

Penguin Pool redevelopment

Working with Nautilus, a zoological enclosure specialist, large scale project works have been undertaken. Most significantly, the Penguin Pool has seen a total revamp. New rock work has been sculpted by the expert team and new burrows have been created for our Humboldt family.

Nautilus have also overseen the construction of a new Central Hub. The structure sits in the heart of the Bird Garden with views across the Lake. This area will be used for family activities, school groups and as a place to sit and relax.

Fresh interpretation has been written for the 37 species of birds cared for in the Harewood Bird Garden. This is a rolling programme of work with more to follow throughout 2016. The importance of conservation and protecting endangered species is at the core of the message.

Palm cockatoos

But that’s not all! We have reopened closed areas of the Bird Garden, giving you the opportunity to see the charismatic palm cockatoos. These entertaining birds boast iridescent black feathers and bright pink cheeks. Residing in the largest aviary at Harewood, these birds are a must see when you visit.

The collection plan has been given more focus, with dedicated themes tying in with the wider conservation initiatives and messages. Harewood’s connection with the Himalaya’s has been taken into account, with new species from the region joining us this year. The pekin robin is one bird you will be able to see from this part of the world in 2016.

Beyond the exotic species, a fresh initiative to represent our native wildlife has also been undertaken. A brand new minibeast trail has been created with plans to tell visitors more about the Red Kites, barn owls and water fowl coming later this year.

We hope to see you this year and we hope that you will enjoy all the changes that have taken place!

In 2016 The Treasure Houses of England will be marking the 300th anniversary of ‘Capability’ Brown and celebrating the English Garden. Visitors can enjoy ten of the most magnificent stately homes, castles and palaces each with its own unique garden and parkland to explore.

Celebrate the English Garden at Beaulieu. This ‘beautiful place’ has a variety of antique and modern gardens to visit. From the Victorian Flower Garden, created in recognition of the Victorians’ interest in plants and gardens, to the Ornamental Kitchen Garden which houses and abundance of apple and pear trees, potted figs and lemons, hedges of yew and purple beech as well as a traditional vegetable garden. Enjoy the manicured lawns of Palace House which contrasts with the informal Wilderness Garden, dating back to the 1700s. Beaulieu provides a colourful and varied day out for garden lovers.

Blenheim Palace sits within 2,000 acres of Capability Brown landscape. Visitors can expect an exciting calendar of activity including specialist garden tours, a new temporary exhibition, self-guided trail and guided walks. Opening in February 2016 the new temporary exhibition will share ‘Capability’ Brown’s work at Blenheim Palace across the 11 years he was commissioned (1763 – 1774) through detailed accounts of how he designed and executed such a masterpiece through photography, drawings, equipment and costumes with a selection of never-been-seen-before elements.  There are 13 key vistas that will be marked out at Blenheim Palace in the ‘Capability’ Brown trail; these allow visitors to see the best examples of Brown’s designs around the Parkland. Visitors will also be able to enjoy carriage rides in the Parkland on selected summer dates.

Celebrating ‘Capability’ Brown’s longest commission, which included not only landscape gardening, but also architecture, Burghley is undergoing an extensive restoration to restore the original views and vistas he created. By re-creating the natural look visitors will be able to enjoy Brown’s landscaping vision in all its glory in time for his tercentenary, which is also being marked with a host of events and activities. Visitors can enjoy new self-guided tours of the major elements, a special exhibition staged within the House as well as a series of lectures and special group tours that will offer more in-depth exploration of Brown’s landscape and architectural designs during his 20-year association with Burghley.

Castle Howard sits in 1,000 acres of breath-taking parkland in the rolling Howardian Hills. Meander through woodland and along lakeside terraces which offer spectacular view of temples, follies and the imposing Atlas Fountain. The formal 18th century walled garden is a haven of tranquillity with herbaceous borders filled with English country garden favourites, a carp pond and shaped hornbeam hedges. In the rose garden a fine collection of roses ramble up the wall and over archways filling the garden with perfume and colour in the summer. In the ornamental vegetable garden, sweet pea wigwams sit amongst vegetable patches filled with traditional crops from runner beans and cauliflowers to rhubarb, strawberries and more.

Having evolved over more than 450 years, the 105 acre Chatsworth garden continues to change today. There is plenty to discover at every turn, including permanent sculptures to be found. The garden is famous for its rich history, historic and modern waterworks and sculptures, the Victorian rock garden and the maze. From the famous waterworks which include the 300 year old Cascade, the Squirting Willow Tree Fountain and the impressive gravity-fed Emperor Fountain, to the Maze, Rockery, Rose, Cottage and Kitchen Gardens. There are also over five miles of walks with rare trees, shrubs, streams and ponds to discover.

Harewood House will celebrate the magnificent landscape gardener, ‘Capability’ Brown with an interesting calendar of activities including a new temporary exhibition ‘Art of Landscape, which will run from 25^th March – 30^th November. The exhibition will celebrate the influence that Brown has extended to some of Britain’s most well-known artists. Showing works from great masters who have engaged intimately with the vistas created by Brown, visitors will be able to see watercolours of Harewood, produced in the late eighteenth century by celebrated artists including JMW Turner, Cotman, and Girtin will be displayed alongside photographs by pioneering Victorian photographer Roger Fenton, who captured the Brownian views in 1860. A contemporary response by Simon Warner will take visitors through the landscape in a new film titled “North and South”. The Art of Landscape presents a full and fresh assessment of the cultural influence of the “Capability” Brown design at Harewood.

Enjoy a celebration of the Formal Gardens at Hatfield House. The West Garden contains a Knot Garden styled to an Elizabethan design, a glorious parterre, topiary, planted borders and many fantastic flowers and shrubs. Discover the Old Palace Garden which is an intricate design, bordered by box and containing a mini-maze in one of its four sections. This garden or parterre was originally surrounded on all sides. From the Pleached Lime Walk through to the Sundial Garden, visitors can also enjoy The East Garden which is open one day per week; The East Garden was laid out by the 5^th Marquess of Salisbury. This part of the Garden has elegant parterres, topiary and rare plants are a delight for the gardening enthusiast and for those wishing to spend a quiet time in idyllic surroundings.

An exciting project is underway at Holkham Hall to restore the 6 acres of walled gardens which were originally laid out by Samuel Wyatt during the late 1700s. Step through Venetian iron-work gates into one of the seven rooms whose walls within the gardens act as a windbreak and reflect the sun to create a gentle microclimate. In Victorian times these gardens would have provided a constant and varied supply of food and decoration to the hall; today Holkham’s modern vegetable garden provides produce for the family’s kitchen whilst a newly planted vineyard will provide fruits for grape juice and the table, once established. At the far end of the gardens one room has been laid to lawn with surrounding flower beds and will be the venue of the annual Holkham Plant Fair.

Leeds Castle is set within 500 acres of beautiful grounds, of which the beautiful Culpeper Garden is a must-visit. Designed by one of the greatest garden designers of the 20th Century, Russell Page the garden takes its name partly from Sir Thomas Culpeper, who bought the Castle in 1632, and partly from Nicholas Culpeper, the 17th century herbalist. The Culpeper Garden was originally the site of the castle’s kitchen garden; however in 1980 Page transformed it into a large cottage garden. With its informal layout and low box hedges as a border this very English garden features Roses, Lupins, Poppies and Lads’ Love, with exotic blooms mixed in to create a profusion of colour and scent. In 2016, the Gardening Team will continue to develop the Culpeper Garden, adding new plants to boost the variety of species and colour for visitors to feast their eyes on, particularly worth a visit in early summer when the garden is fragrant and at its tallest.

Woburn Abbey’s tranquil Abbey Gardens are open for everyone to enjoy the brilliance of Humphry Repton’s original designs. Visitors can enjoy approximately 30 acres of serene formal and natural garden environments: from manicured lawns and colourful flower beds to peaceful woodland glades and ponds teeming with life.  Discover the Cone House, recently reconstructed with reference to historic plans for a menagerie in the Abbey grounds. Also, the Bog Garden with its carnivorous plants is beautiful in all seasons, and the Doric Temple, which was carefully restored last year, exudes romance and elegance. There are many other features to see as well, and the gardens are constantly evolving as restoration work continues.

We’re often asked why Harewood House closes to the public during the winter months. There are in fact, a number of projects that we are unable to complete when the doors are open to the public. This winter is no different! The team are busy delivering a whole host of activities to ensure that the House, grounds and Bird Garden are maintained. Here’s a snippet of what’s going on behind the scenes.

In the House:

Cleaning the Libraries at Harewood House, Yorkshire

Protecting the fabric of Harewood House and the collections we manage takes a huge amount of work and planning. The simplest task like dusting the top of a bookshelf requires scaffolding! Cleaning the floors is another challenge. To remove a delicate carpets from the State Rooms can take up to 10 members of staff over an hour. Only then can our expert housekeepers polish the entire floor. These are all jobs that form part of the winter cleaning schedule which is a rolling programme of work completed during our closed season.

In the Gardens:

A view of the Terrace at Harewood

Our gardeners are now hard at work preparing the borders for the harsh winter months. On the Terrace, 3 members of staff and 8 volunteers removed 20,000 bedding plants and replaced them with spring bulbs ready for the 2016 season. Heavily scented hyacinth and violas form part of the planting scheme visitors will be able to enjoy.

Caring for our trees is another important aspect of winter maintenance programme in the grounds. Each year a survey is conducted which informs the work that we need to complete. Our specialists consider the condition of the individual trees, their location, hazards, disease, storm damage and any areas of dead wood which may need to be removed. All these aspects are taken into account before tree surgeons climb scale these magnificent plants and make sure they are in the best possible condition.

In the Bird Garden:

Tree clearing in the Bird Garden

The Bird Garden is undergoing a major change this winter with tree clearing and maintenance starting off this exciting project. We are in the process of finalising plans for an enhanced bird collection, aviary repair work and more. Watch this space for updates throughout the winter months!

These are just some of the activities which take place behind the scenes when we are closed. They form a very important function to protect, maintain and develop Harewood House Trust for future generations.

As the dark nights draw in and the leaves begin to change, views across Harewood’s landscape become a vivid autumn spectacle. The red, orange and yellow leaves provide a vibrant display throughout October and November.

With 850 acres of managed woodland, there are hundreds of trees under Harewood’s care. From the creation of the “Capability” Brown parkland to modern events like the Tour de France, these trees have presided over much of Harewood’s history. Here are a few trees for you to look out for on your next visit.

• The Tallest Grand Fir in Yorkshire:
  Harewood is home to Yorkshire’s tallest Grand Fir growing in the Lakeside Gardens (SE of the Cascade beside the path towards the Walled Garden). This tree was last measured at 36m tall or 118ft!

• Our Oldest Trees:
  Exactly which is the oldest tree on the Estate is difficult to say. What we do know, is that along the Lakeside Path, two, beautiful, native trees reside which were planted around the same time as the “Capability” Brown parkland was design in the late 18^th century. The striking Beech and Oak trees can be found just before the Walled Garden and are at least 250 years old.

• Fairy Tree: Did you know Harewood has a magical tree which is home to a family of fairies? The grand old Oak stands proudly on the water’s edge of the Lake. If children walk up really quietly, they might just see a fairy busy tidying their house!

• Head Gardener’s One to Watch:
  Choosing just one tree for you to look out for was no easy task for our Head Gardener, Trevor Nicholson. After some persuasion, it was decided that the Black Walnut tree, which sits alongside the Ice Cream Kiosk, is the one for you to find. As autumn flourishes, the leaves on this beautiful tree become a striking gold which you simply cannot miss!

We hope you can join us to see this wonderful, autumnal display. Enjoy the crisp air, warm sunshine and crunchy leaves as you explore everything autumn has to offer at Harewood.