Howard Tower, Carlton

North Yorkshire. Sleeps up to 31

Howard Tower enjoys an absolutely fascinating history. It was cited as being under the ownership of Robert de Brus in the 1086 Domesday book. Ownership today can be traced to 1301. For the following seven hundred years, a rich history unfolded including Kings of Jerusalem crusaders and knights who fell on the fields of Bannockburn. Since 1614, Howard Tower has won the hearts of visitors with historic meetings taking place in the state rooms and notable dignatories residing in the property. Howard Tower is now a family home with the owners and their family living in one wing of this magnificent property and the rest given over for luxury, out-of-this world stays, weddings and events. The family’s values of sense of community, responsibility, progress, preservation and an attachment to North Yorkshire’s landscape are clearly evident. Throughout this lavish home, you will find paintings and adornments that depict the legacy and testament that the family inherited. The owners moved from London in 1990 to Howard Tower which had been unoccupied for some twenty years. During years of extensive renovation, refurbishment and incredible attention to detail, this phenomenal home has become a treasured, much loved, special venue as well as a home. When you arrive, you will not believe that this could possibly be yours for the week but it can and you will create memories that will last a lifetime. You can rent all sixteen of the guest bedrooms which can be found in the Nursery Wing, the Batchelor Wing and the Clock Tower. They sleep thirty one guests, and with extra mattresses in some of the bedrooms, you could potentially have another ten guests. In truly opulent state rooms, you can live like royalty, dine like kings and enjoy celebrations by candlelight. A professional, dedicated team will be on-hand to ensure that you enjoy the holiday of a lifetime within this palatial home.

Howard Tower sits on a magnificent three hundred and fifty acre estate with its own vineyard, stunning walled gardens and private parkland in Carlton, a hidden corner of North Yorkshire. The property is used as a prestigious wedding venue with fantastic in-house catering and event teams and the most amazing backdrops for wedding photographs. As such, guests booking to stay in Howard Tower on an exclusive basis have the choice of a self-catering holiday using the fantastic professional kitchens or opting for a fully catered package. Not only are the team of chefs applauded for their celebratory meals, afternoon teas and lavish breakfast spreads, the team also have a rustic horsebox from where they can serve woodfired pizza, home-made floured buns with an evening roast or a ploughman’s table. There are grand regal dining rooms that will be lit by candlelight, a convivial Cooks Kitchen, the intimate Duchess’s Dining Room or you can enjoy a delicious picnic in the parkland. The choice is very much yours. If you do decide to self-cater, the chefs in your group will be astounded by the kitchen, the larders and the pantry. Howard Tower boasts its own ‘Carlton School of Food’ where their own in-house chefs and visiting celebrity chefs host a range of professional cooking tutorials thoughout the year.

The living spaces of Howard Tower are exquisite, sumptuous rooms where you really will feel like royalty. As you tour the Venetian Drawing Room admiring its grand opulence, its gilded high ceilings and grand fireplace, the Picture Gallery delving into the past, the fascinating Armoury with its roaring fire and gaze at the beauty of the Card Room, you will be totally mesmerised and feel like you are in a scene from a period costume drama. In such a quintesentially English setting, you will see why happy couples choose Howard Tower for their wedding day and why the owners have spent years bringing the house back to glory. The house is perfect for grand ceremonies as well as intimate dinners. You can party like a celebrity knowing that there are no carriages coming and this paradise is yours for the duration. Howard House is perfect for special birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers, christenings, bar mitzvahs or big family or friends get togethers. The possibilities are endless with so many indoor and outdoor atmospheric locations.

Not only are the interiors magnificent, Howard Tower also boasts a rare gothic exterior with an imposing clock tower. With its regal state rooms, dramatic, sweeping staircases and its phenomenal grounds, it is easy also to understand why its authentic features make it a popular film and television production location. Howard Tower’s epic stature has been a brilliant stand-in for Windsor Castle in the acclaimed ITV series Victoria, was the main location in the 1988 film A Handful of Dust, has been used for the BBC series MasterChef, the iconic English classic The Darling Buds of May and some Bollywood blockbusters.

In the heart of the house, you will discover sixteen beautifully appointed, elegant and refined bedrooms. They have all been designed by Lady Emma Fitzalan Howard, the owner, and are located in the original Nursery Wing, the Batchelor Wing and the imposing Clock Tower where the rooms offer breathtaking estate views. Each carefully curated room boasts rich architectural features, beautiful period artwork and sumptuous beds adorned with deep pillows, crisp linen sheets and extravagant soft furnishings. Most of the rooms are named after notable family ancestors, many holding prominent places in British history. Other rooms tell interesting stories from the past, including the Old School Room and Priest’s Hiding Hole. You will bask in these lavish, nobel surroundings and also enjoy beautifully presented bathrooms. In the Nursery Wing, guests will sleep like kings in the two storey, bridal suite, Baroness Tower, on a super kingsize bed and soak in a copper freestanding bath or enjoy a power shower. Also in this wing are Florence with its cosy fireplace, double bed and freestanding slipper bath, Priest’s Hiding Hole and Grace with their four poster beds and room for a double mattress or two singles for two extra guests, Arthur with its fireplace, double bed and ensuite bathroom and the Old School Room which also boasts a four poster bed, ensuite and fireplace. Again, you could squeeze another two guests in, on a double or two single mattresses. Priest’s Hiding Hole connects to Arthur making a family suite. It also offers a partial glass floor so that you can see and imagine the hiding hole. The Clock Tower is home to Nolfolk Suite and Glossop which offer kingsize beds, an ensuite or adjoining bathroom with slipper baths and spectacular estate views. The Batchelor Wing features Lord Martin and Lord Micheal featuring super kingsize beds, space for another double mattress, fireplaces and ensuite bathrooms, Lady Miranda, a beautiful double with an ensuite shower room, Lady Mirabel, a delightful single with a fireplace and ensuite shower room, Lord Mark, a smart, stately room with a super kingsize bed, ensuite and fireplace, Lady Miriam, a twin with an ensuite bathroom, Lady Marigold, a double with an ensuite bathroom and Lord Beaumont, a twin with a separate bathroom.

Whilst the interiors carry the regal air of sophistication and grandeur, the estate feels like a royal park. You could easily imagine you really are at Windsor! The Walled Garden Vineyard is superb. The estate grows two cool-climate grape varieties, Auxerrois Colmar and Pinot Noir. They also make their own sparkling wine which will be offered to gets when nature permits. You could enjoy a wine tasting when you are staying at the house or perhaps take dinner in the vineyard. The vineyard covers 6100 sqm whilst the front lawn covers 1600 sqm, the Lavender Gardens 7000 sqm and the lake 12 acres.

Howard Tower is located in Carlton in North York, within easy reach of Selby, York and Leeds. The historic town of Selby is one of Yorkshire’s hidden gems with a medieval abbey, a crumbling 15th century gatehouse and a wonderful array of fine dining restaurants. The ancient, atmospheric Selby Abbey enjoys a long-rooted relationship with Howard Tower. It sits on the River Ouse, surrounded by glorious Yorkshire countryside.

The historic City of York is just 14 miles away where you can enjoy many cultural treats. York’s medieval city walls are 3.4km long and offer a fabulous stroll. The beautifully preserved walls are the longest complete medieval town walls in England. York Minster is Europe’s largest gothic cathedral. Visitors enjoy climbing the 275 steps of its central tower to take in the fabulous panoramic views of the city. At the York Castle Museum, visitors go back in time in the streets of York and learn about the fascinating history of this incredible city. The Shambles have been voted the most picturesque street in Britain. You shouldn’t miss this ancient shopping street! One of the favourite York attractions is the Jorvik Viking Centre where visitors learn how the Viking-age streets looked 1000 years ago. The annual Viking Festival hosts many events in the streets and on the river. Every trip to York must include an afternoon tea stop at the famous Betty’s Tearooms. It was founded in 1919 and serves delicious cakes and teas. There are also nightly ghost walking tours in York, supposedly the most haunted city in Europe! Shoppers will delight in the many boutiques and designer stores plus there is an excellent Designer Outlet.

If you want to venture a little further, the astounding North York Moors and the stunning Yorkshire Dales are definitely worth the drive. North Yorkshire’s market town Helmsley boasts independent boutique shops, fantastic, quaint tea rooms, wonderful restaurants and oh-so homely pubs with roaring fires and popular pints! You may even find a board game or two to enjoy! Visitors can take a delightful walk from Helmsey to enjoy the delights of Rievaulx Abbey. Hidden deep in the River Rye valley, you will find the beautiful, tranquil and romantic Rievaulx Abbey ruins. Rievaulx was one of the first Cistercian abbeys to be founded in England around 1130. Its picturesque ruins became a beacon for poets, painters and scholars. It was one of the first major ruins to be conserved by the ancestor of English Heritage, the Office of Works in 1917. Today it is a very impressive visitor attraction. Above the abbey, you can visit Rievaulx Terrace and Temples. The temples are 18th century, one of which is the splendid Ionic Temple with intricate ceiling paintings. The views from the terrace are stunning.

The North Yorkshire Moors National Park is incredibly scenic. An excellent and fun excursion is a trip from Pickering on the steam train. You can stop in numerous pretty villages in the North Yorkshire Moors or go all the way to Whitby. Pickering Station is a must-see 1930’s themed station that will transport you back in time to the steam era. The town holds a traditional market every Monday and boasts the Beck Isle Museum, a 13th century castle originally built by William the Conqueror and its beautiful Church of St Peter and St Paul where you can see some magnificent 15th century wall paintings.

Castle Howard is also within easy reach. Generations of the Howard family have welcomed visitors to Castle Howard, one of the great palaces of Europe, for more than 300 years. The whole family will enjoy this extravagant house, its stunning gardens, Skelf Island Adventure Playground, coffee shops, restaurants, farm shop and the boathouse. There are also plenty of special events so look out for those.