I don’t know how it is that I’ve never written about Harewood house but I’ve been a few times and it’s one of my favourites, not just for the plush interiors but for the pretty grounds and secret garden. As usual, I took way too many photos so part 1 will be just about the house and I’ll leave the gardens for part 2. We took a little day trip to just outside Leeds to visit Harewood when Emma came to visit. Having people over is the perfect excuse to revisit old favourites. 
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, always talk to the volunteers stationed in each room in a country house. We learned that the curtains in the photo above are actually carved wood! They are very convincing as real curtains in real life. This was done so that they would last a lot longer than traditional cloth curtains, and would you believe that they used to be blue and have even been painted. 
All of the copper cookware of my dreams. 
Harewood house was built in the 18th century and was home to Princess Mary at one point and highlights her life which was interestingly spent being a part of numerous charities. It is part of ten houses that make up the Treasure Houses of England (we’ve been to Chatsworth and Castle Howard which are also a part of this group) Part of what makes Harewood House one of my favourite places is that they have penguins! Along with an extensive aviary housing lots of other birds. I’ll save that for part 2 though to include with the grounds.
If you’d like to visit Harewood I’d suggest booking tickets online if you know which day you’ll be going. You only need to book the day before but you get 10% off the normal adult ticket price of £16.50 which gives you access to the house, below stairs and grounds. Normally if you visit a Treasure House, you also get a brochure for 2 for 1 tickets for the rest of the Treasure Houses in the group. So if you’re wanting to see any of the other properties it’s a cheaper way to do it. This is how we found out about Castle Howard and decided to go the first time.
