Guides
What's on
Where to go
See all

Guides
What's on
Where to go
See all

Harewood House

Ian Jones, Food and Drink Editor

Visit now

Harewood House

Sandy Gate, Harewood, Leeds, LS17 9LE
01132181010
Website Facebook X
  • Monday10:00am - 6:00pm
  • Tuesday10:00am - 6:00pm
  • Wednesday10:00am - 6:00pm
  • Thursday10:00am - 6:00pm
  • Friday10:00am - 6:00pm
  • Saturday10:00am - 6:00pm
  • Sunday10:00am - 6:00pm

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Visit now
Harewood House
By User:Gunnar Larsson [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC BY-SA 2.5 ], from Wikimedia Commons
Book now

Located just to the north of Leeds, Harewood House is a fascinating treasure trove of art and design, set in a countryside idyll of gardens and parks. It makes a great getaway for all the family.

The work started with Edwin Lascelles, First Baron Heywood, a wealthy plantation owner. Construction began in 1759. He employed artisans whose names have since become legend: John Carr the architect, interior designer Robert Adam, furniture maestro Thomas Chippendale and the great gardener Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown. You’ll be able to see many examples of this work on your visit. Their efforts have been topped up over time with portrait paintings by Reynolds, Gainsborough, Lawrence and Richmond and many other exquisite artefacts.

You will find Italian Renaissance paintings collected in the early 20th century including works by Titian, Bellini, and Tintoretto. There’s also a mysterious allegorical painting by El Greco, which guests are welcome to interpret as best they can. The Chippendale furniture pervades the entire building and includes some really grand pieces such as the Mars and Minerva Commode, but connoisseurs speak highly of Chippendale’s smaller, more functional pieces which can be found in abundance too. Edward Lascelles competed sportingly with the future George IV in the collection of French and Oriental ceramics, and the house boasts one of the best collections of Sèvres pottery in the UK.

Capability Brown’s work was of course outside, and guests are strongly encouraged to wander among the vast acreage surrounding the house. Brown’s original work is maintained by famous contemporary gardener Trevor Nicholson. Spaces to explore include the Terrace, the Lakeside Garden, the Himalayan Garden and the Walled Garden.

Parents are advised that an adventure playground can be found on site along with all the required amenities, and there’s even a boat you can hire that will take you on a tour of the lake.

Featured in

Stately Homes in the North

The North of England is blessed with countless stunning stately homes, many dating back decades and even centuries. Here are some of the very best.

Allerton Castle
Filming Locations in the North

Beloved soaps, Marvel, Hogwarts and Stanley Kubrick – we look at the best filming locations you can visit in the North.

What's on near Harewood House

See all events

Where to go near Harewood House

Originally built as the country retreat for the Vavasour family, Wood Hall still remains a place where today's pressures seem an age away. Set down a long private drive Wood Hall is perched high on the hill set amongst 100 acres, with fine views of the surrounding area.Set apart from the distractions of the office, Wood Hall is the ideal spot for business events, or simply some fresh thinking. The 2 AA Rosette Georgian Restaurant at Wood Hall Hotel creates a special atmosphere in which to enjoy a fine dining experience to mark a special occasion or just for the pleasure of it!Unwind in the spa, tone up in the gym, or step out and make the most of the beautiful Yorkshire surroundings. On sunny days you can dine al fresco with a specailly prepared picnic hamper in the Italian Gardens.
Leeds
Hotel
Wood Hall Hotel

Originally built as the country retreat for the Vavasour family, Wood Hall is set amongst 100 acres, with fine views of the surrounding area.

Tropical World logo
Leeds
Tourist Attraction
Tropical World

At Tropical World, families can enjoy a fun-filled and educational day out. Start your epic journey in the Butterfly House, where exotic butterflies fly freely through our swampy mangrove, fluttering
Park
Roundhay Park

Roundhay Park in Leeds, is one of the biggest city parks in Europe. It has over 700 acres of parkland, lakes, woodland and gardens which are owned by Leeds City Council. The park is one of the most popular in Europe. In the park you can find an abundance of wildlife including woodpeckers, common warblers in spring and summer, mute swans, visiting whooper swans, great-crested grebes and herons.

Further North
Leeds
Bar or Pub
Further North

Kind of like your front room, but with better beers and no television, Further North was one of the first microbars to open in Leeds and remains a staple today.

Leeds
Bar or Pub
Beck and Call

Beck and Call is a family friendly local pub with a vibrant culture of quizzes, workshops and excellent food, nestled in North Leeds.

Leeds
Shop
Chirpy

Chirpy is a quaint design shop in Leeds with workshops and one-off events. They boast unique goods and accessories for home decor.

Restaurant
Leeds
Shop
George and Joseph Cheesemongers

George and Joseph is Leeds’ only specialist cheesemongers, serving some of the city’s best cheese from its home in Chapel Allerton since 2013

Wine bar
Leeds
Restaurant
Wayward Wines

Selling natural wines since before it was cool (well, 2017), this tiny suburban wine house is so much more than just a bar.

Hern Food
Leeds
Restaurant
Hern

This produce-driven bistro in Chapel Allerton, Leeds, prides itself on cooking with the only finest ingredients and his headed up by Cordon Bleu-trained chef Rab Adams.

Chapel Allerton Library
Leeds
Event venue
Chapel Allerton Library

Chapel Allerton library is a place where history meets a love of reading, where visitors can borrow books, eBooks, eAudio, and more.

Dapur Malaysia
Leeds
Restaurant
Dapur Malaysia

Dapur Malaysia serves up home-cooked South East Asian cuisine taking influence from Chinese, Indian and Malay cultures.

See all places

Culture Guides

A pair of white angel wings displayed against a dark, black background. The lower parts of the wings are stained with vivid red, resembling blood splatter.
Theatre

This month’s theatre highlights span dystopian classics, political thrillers and bold new opera.

Music

From underground festivals showcasing emerging talent to global icons unveiling new work, here are our latest live music highlights.

Food and Drink in the North

Spring is coming, at some point. As for now, it’s cold and grim so take our advice and shelter in a nice warm restaurant, pub or bar.

Exhibitions

From monumental to minutiae, this month’s exhibitions trace power, care and community across galleries big and small.

Emily Lloyd-Saini as Grace in Space and Harrie Hayes as Lieutenant Strong in Horrible Science
Family things to do in the North

Whether you’re after storybook theatre, museum wanderings or illusion-bending play spaces, there’s plenty to keep curiosity ticking through winter and beyond.

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night
Cinema in the North

There's no shortage of great films out at the moment, whether you're looking for the latest blockbuster, that hot arthouse flick fresh from Cannes or a cosy classic.