Gardens of Castle Howard

The estate of Castle Howard was described by John Leland in 1540 as having a park four miles around, with much young woodland.

At the end of the 17th century, Charles Howard, 3rd Earl of Carlisle commissioned a scheme from George London to redesign the grounds, which would have created canals, avenus and circular lawns.

To its north is a large lawn, leading down to the Great Lake, on which are a boathouse and modern playground area.

The pedestal is rectangular on two steps, with a moulded base and cornice, and contains panels with designs in relief.

[4] Grade II-listed statues in the garden include a carved fruit basket, two vases and two urns.

[10] The South Parterre was completed in about 1725, and was originally a lawned area, with an assortment of obelisks, urns and statues, and a 50 feet (15 m) column.

The current design consists of grass lawns and yew hedges, with a haha wall at its southern edge.

At its southern edge are two grade I-listed statues: one of wrestlers, and one of Spinario, a boy seated and removing a thorn from his foot.

[15][16] To the east, northeast, east-northeast and west of the Atlas Fountain are four grade II-listed vases, each about 3 metres (9.8 ft) high.

The sandstone vases are ovoid on a fluted base, and have lipped rims carrying vine scrolls.

[23][24] To the northwest of the parterre is a grade II*-listed statue of a faun carrying a kid on his shoulders propped by an iron bar under the right arm.

[25] To the northeast of the parterre is a grade II*-listed statue of Silenus leaning on a tree trunk and holding the child Bacchus in his arms.

[26] In a small wooded area immediately to the west of the parterre is a statue of a figure in loose drapes holding a lyre.

The pedestal is pyramidal, and carved to suggest a craggy mountain with trees, ruins and a stream, and on it is a plaque inscribed with a poem.