The earliest sign of human activity at Harewood is on a large boulder of millstone grit, the Greystone, high on the far hillside as you look across the Lake from Harewood House.
Pecked onto its surface with a stone tool or possibly a deer antler is a large cup and ring mark dating back to the Neolithic and Bronze Age, more than 4,000 years ago.
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The first known owners of Harewood are three Saxon Chieftains, the wonderfully named Tor, Sprot and Grim.
Their names are recorded in the Domesday Book, William the Conqueror’s massive and extraordinarily comprehensive survey of land ownership compiled shortly after the Battle of Hastings.
Following the Battle of Hastings, the land was confiscated and given to a Norman nobleman, Robert de Romelli, whose descendants were the first Lords of the Manor of Harewood.
Meet the Saxons: Learn at Harewood
William de Curcy, son-in-law of Robert de Romelli, the Norman baron to whom the manor of Harewood was given by William the Conqueror after the Battle of Hastings, founded All Saints’ Church.
When the roof was replaced in the 18th century this inscription was found cut into a beam:
“We adore and praise thee thou holy Jesus, because thou hast redeemed us by thy Holy Cross, 1116”.
This original church was completely rebuilt in the 15th century by the descendants of Sir William de Aldeburgh (the builder of Harewood Castle), and altered again in the late 18th century, both by John Carr, the architect of Harewood House, and by Edwin Lascelles’ surveyor, John Belwood.
Explore All Saints’ Church
In 1366 a “licence to crenellate” (to fortify) was granted to Sir William de Aldeburgh, who had inherited the manor of Harewood by marriage a few years earlier and Harewood Castle is built.
With its dramatic setting and spectacular views up and down Wharfedale, the 14th century castle ruins is now one of our most popular filming locations.
More about location filming
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The neighbouring estate to Harewood was Gawthorpe, and its 13th-century manor house, Gawthorpe Hall, was home to sixteen generations to the Gascoigne family.
In 1580 the now combined estate passed by marriage to the politically influential Wentworth family, and in 1601 Sir William Wentworth, owner of Gawthorpe Hall, acquires Harewood Castle.
The Castle is eventually abandoned and Gawthorpe Hall becomes the centre of two estates.
Explore Gawthorpe Hall
An Edward Lascelles (dates unknown) was recorded buying shares in a sugar plantation called Frames in 1648.
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Henry Lascelles’ eldest son, Edwin, was born in Barbados in 1712.

Henry Lascelles was the first in the Lascelles family to be directly involved in the trading of enslaved people in 1713.
Henry and his brother George invested in ships that transported over 1,000 enslaved people from Africa to the Caribbean over three years.
Henry went on to be involved in all areas of the Triangular Trade Route and became one of the richest men in Britain.
Learn more about the Transatlantic trade
In 1738 Henry and Edwin acquired the estates of Harewood and Gawthorpe, where Edwin would later build Harewood House.
The money came from owning plantations, enslaved people, ships and warehouses, a fact that was pervasive throughout British society at the time, with many of the great institutions; the Church, banks, artistic and educational establishments – either created or greatly enhanced during that period.
Henry Lascelles not live to see Harewood House. He died by suicide in 1753 and whilst Harewood House is full of portraits, including one of Henry’s brother Edward (the junior partner of their business enterprises), there is no image of Henry.
Harewood, Slavery and the Caribbean
Edwin Lascelles begins construction of Harewood House.
Edwin employs the finest craftsmen of his day to build his new home, including architect John Carr of York, interior designer Robert Adam, and local furniture maker Thomas Chippendale.
Building Harewood House
The Lascelles family move in to Harewood House after 12 years of construction, interior decoration and furnishing.
The building, however, is far from complete, with Chippendale supplying the last items of furniture for the Gallery in the 1790s.
British Furniture Collection
Lancelot “Capability” Brown begins work on the Harewood landscape. Gawthorpe Hall is soon demolished and over 1,000 acres of sculpted parkland are completed.
Explore the Gardens and Grounds
Edwin died without any children in 1795.
His cousin, Edward Lascelles (later 1st Earl of Harewood), inherited the family fortune and soon moved into Harewood House. He also took charge of the Lascelles’ estates in the Caribbean.
The money made from the sugar trade and the Transatlantic trade in enslaved people helped the Lascelles family ascend to the aristocracy.
Edward eventually became the 1st Earl of Harewood in 1812. This title is still used by the family today.
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Edward Viscount Lascelles, also known as ‘Beau’ was among London’s most avid art collectors.
He had an eye for beautiful objects and commissioned JMW Turner to paint Harewood and the surrounding landscapes.
Turner visited the estate in 1797, when he was just 22.
Austen + Turner Exhibition
In 1807, the Slave Trade Act was passed in parliament led by William Wilberforce. This ended the buying and selling of enslaved people in the British colonies.
At this time, the Lascelles family were gradually selling their plantations in the Caribbean and the future 2nd Earl of Harewood, another Henry, was running for parliament.
The fight for the two Yorkshire seats was between William Wilberforce, Lord Milton and Henry Lascelles.
Henry spent a lot of money on the campaign, but his opponents used Henry’s family connections to the Transatlantic trade of enslaved people against him. He lost to Wilberforce and Milton.
More on the 1807 Slave Trade Act
On 18 June 1815, British forces secured a crucial victory at the Battle of Waterloo, one of the bloodiest and most celebrated battles in British history. Among them was Henry Lascelles, the 3rd Earl of Harewood, who was injured in combat and later awarded a medal.
Exactly 100 years later, on 18 June 1915, his descendant, the 6th Earl of Harewood, Henry Lascelles, was also wounded in battle during World War I. This remarkable coincidence links two generations of the same family to key moments in European warfare.
Battle of Waterloo: what are the odds?
From the late 18th century, enslaved workers across the Caribbean and America gathered together to fight against their enslavers in a rebellion.
On the 14 April 1816, Barbados saw its biggest revolt, Bussa’s Rebellion.
Hundreds of enslaved men and women tried to take their freedom for themselves, including those working on the Lascelles’ plantations. The Lascelles family’s sugar cane fields were damaged and one of their plantations even became a battlefield.
Bussa’s Rebellion was over in three days and the enslaved people were defeated and captured by the army. They were not granted their freedom and many involved in the rebellion were punished or sent away.
It is important to recognise that their bravery helped bring an end to slavery.
Barbadian Revolt of 1816
In 1833, the Emancipation Act was passed in parliament which meant that slavery was illegal and enslaved people in the British colonies were to be freed.
The government wanted to take small steps to ending slavery, so enslaved workers were forced to carry on working as apprentices.
More on the 1833 Emancipation Act
In 1836, the 2nd Earl of Harewood received an anonymous letter saying that the managers on his plantations were treating the apprentices very badly.
Abolitionists heard about what was going on in the Caribbean and campaigned for the apprenticeship to end.
The apprentices were freed on 1st August 1838.
It was agreed that all enslavers would receive compensation money from the government for losing their enslaved workers.
The Lascelles family received £26,309 which is close to £2.5 million in today’s money.
The formerly enslaved people received nothing to start their new lives, and many carried on working on the plantations.
Legacy of the Caribbean
Charles Barry begins work modernising Harewood House and designs the formal Terrace on the South side of the building, all under the direction of Louisa, 3rd Countess of Harewood.
Explore The Terrace
In 1893, at the age of just 13, George ‘Bertie’ Robinson, became the first known Black member of staff to enter service at Harewood House.
Bertie Robinson: The Footman from St Vincent
On 18th July 1922, after almost 30 years of service, Bertie’s employment with the Lascelles family came to an abrupt end. He was dismissed at the family’s London residence, following his theft of a £50 note belonging to the Earl of Harewood.
Henry gave Bertie 48 hours to leave the country; he sailed to Trinidad less than two weeks later and nothing more about Bertie’s life is known.
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The 6th Earl of Harewood marries HRH Princess Mary in 1922.
They move to Harewood in 1930 following the death of the 5th Earl in 1929.
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In 1939, Harewood became a convalescent hospital for soldiers during WWII, until 1945.

Harewood House, Gardens and Grounds open to the public for the very first time.
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In 1970 the 7th Earl and Countess of Harewood created the Bird Garden, a cherished space that brought joy to Members, visitors, staff, and volunteers for over 50 years.
Alongside it, they established the first Adventure Playground, inspiring generations of young explorers.
After five decades, the Bird Garden closed in 2023, marking the end of an era. In its place, a new woodland garden will be created, designed to support native wildlife such as woodland and water birds, red kites, and otters.
This transformation will revive historic walks, including an expanded South Park Walk.
Coming soon: South Garden
Harewood becomes an independent charitable educational trust set up to maintain and develop Harewood, its collections and grounds, for the public benefit.
Learn about the Trust
Diane Howse, 8th Countess of Harewood, opens the Terrace Gallery, the first contemporary art gallery in an English country house.
The list of contemporary artists who would go on to exhibit at the Terrace Gallery over the following 25 years includes Sonia Boyce, Kate Davis, Clare Woods, Barbara Rae, Sharon Kivland, Terry Frost, David Hockney, Mark Wallinger, Bill Viola, Andy Golsworthy and Antony Gormley.
Find out more
Harewood Stupa is built and the Himalayan Garden created.
Explore the Himalayan Garden
Geraldine Connor’s epic masterpiece, Carnival Messiah, is staged at Harewood. The production marked the climax of a year of events to commemorate the bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade.
Carnival Messiah
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Archaeologists from the University of York begin 2 years of exploratory digs and geophysical surveys on the site of Gawthorpe Hall.
In 2013, full excavation of the site is complete and the remains of Gawthorpe Hall can now be seen on Sun Sides.
Explore Gawthorpe Hall
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In 2011, a incredible discovery was found at the back of the darkest cellars at Harewood – the oldest rum in the world.
Harewood rum was made by enslaved Africans, a by-product of the sugar grown, and processed, on the Lascelles family’s plantations in the Caribbean.
Harewood Rum Story
In 2013 and 2014, twenty-eight bottles of Harewood rum were sold at Christies auction. Nothing quite like this had ever come on the market, so not even the experts were quite sure what to expect.
Bidding started at £1,000 and quickly escalated. The 16 bottles sold for a total well in excess of £100,000.
The funds were donated to Geraldine Connor Foundation, a charity which aims to bring young people together through arts and culture.
Harewood Rum Bottles
Harewood welcomed The Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex to host the start of the Tour de France.
Tour de France Grand Départ
In 2017, Harewood worked with the celebrated and award-winning set designer, the late Michael Howells on the inaugural Christmas exhibition.
Having worked on ITV’s Victoria series, which used Harewood House as a major filming location, Michael was able to bring a taste of the grandeur and opulence of a Victorian Christmas to Harewood.
The annual Harewood Christmas exhibition is now a beloved fixture in Yorkshire’s calendar.
Christmas at Harewood
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2019 saw the launch of the inaugural Harewood Biennial with Useful/Beautiful: Why Craft Matters.
Harewood has always been a place of great craftsmanship, and the Biennial continues that tradition, highlighting works by contemporary craftspeople from the UK and around the world.
Harewood Biennial 2024: Create/Elevate
Dr Arthur France MBE, Ashley Karrell, David Lascelles and Diane Howse reveal the first portrait in new series of commissions called Missing Portraits.
Missing Portraits is part of Harewood’s Open History, an ongoing commitment to promoting and celebrating equity, diversity and inclusion, and to combating racism.
Open History invites visitors to engage in discussions about Harewood’s past by tackling urgent contemporary issues, working with artists to encourage understanding, celebrate diversity and explore Harewood’s colonial past.
Arthur France: Son of a Small Island
It’s our mission to protect and enhance Harewood House Trust for the benefit of you, our visitors. So from 2023 – 2033 we’ll be Reimagining our Landscape. The first stage of our Reimagining project has begun, with work starting on our new Adventure Playscape.
Play experts TouchWood have designed a challenging and creative playscape for accessible adventure and discovery, and we’re delighted to see it taking shape.
Read more about Reimagining
David Harewood OBE, Ashley Karrell, David Lascelles and Diane Howse reveal the second portrait in new series of commissions called Missing Portraits.
Missing Portraits is part of Harewood’s Open History, an ongoing commitment to promoting and celebrating equity, diversity and inclusion, and to combating racism.
David Harewood: What’s in a Name?
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Harewood Guide Book
Explore Harewood’s rich history, art, and gardens with our illustrated guidebook; your perfect companion for a memorable visit and lasting inspiration.
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