Description

HAREWOOD HAREWOOD PARK
SE3144 LS14

14/73 Double terrace to south
front of Harewood House
including retaining
walls and steps, flower
bed surrounds, fountains,
garden ornaments and
sculptures.

GV II*

South terrace to Harewood House (q.v.) including retaining walls and steps, flower
bed surrounds, 3 fountains, 12 urns and 2 garden benches with 4 sculptures to lower
terrace and 4 carved stone sphinxes, 8 stone baskets, 4 lead sculptures, 4 carved
sculptures of ladies and 8 carved stone flower vases all on stone plinths to upper
terrace flanking south entrance to house. 1847-48 by Sir Charles Barry and Major
Nesfield, the construction supervised by Robert Banks, for the 3rd Earl of Harewood.
Locally-quarried millstone grit for walls, fountain basins of Rousham Hill stone
(Oxfordshire), Bath stone urns, carved freestone and lead sculptures. Rectangular
plan with terrace on 2 levels walled on 3 sides. Lower terrace: finely-cut ashlar
retaining walls with plinth, chanelled pilasters and raised rectangular and
triangular panels with,to each end,Imperial staircase from ground to terrace level
with balustraded parapet with vase-shaped balusters and 3 projecting semicircular
balconies. Formal arrangement to terrace with central large square fountain with
semicircular projections to each face. Original fountain sculpture replaced by 9'
bronze statue of Orpheus by Astrid Zydower c 1984, surrounded by 4 carved stone
acorn-like urns on square plinths. To each side, raised flower beds with curved
stone coping in which are set 4 urns with handles and covers surrounding smaller
fountain square with triangular projections to each face (star-like) with sculptured
base and scalloped bowl with merman blowing shell. To each end curved stone benches
with raised-and-fielded panels with square piers surmounted by finely-executed
sculptures those to west end of dancing boys and girls the bases inscribed "BAURSCHEIT
IFA 1725". Upper Terrace: finely chanelled stone retaining walls with balustraded
parapet with regularly-spaced square piers penetrated by 3 single flights of stone
steps with low coped walls terminating in square piers. The terrace terminates
to east and west in stone benches finely-carved with guillouche ornament. Set on
the terrace approaching the double flight of stairs to the south entrance of the
house are 2 pairs of C18 carved stone sphinxes by Theakstone taken by Barry from
the north front; this is followed by a line of 4 carved stone vases on plinths with
flight of 3 steps between them at base of main stair,2 lead sculptures to each side
with 4 finely-carved flower vases on plinths and, set across the front, 4 tall
statues of ladies on plinths.

All the architectural and sculptured features in the garden are very striking
and remarkably good in their detail. The terraces are finely-designed, the
parterre partially restored to the original design by Nesfield being considered
one of the finest examples of his work. From the terrace a magnificent view of
the landscaped park by Capability Brown may be had.Mentioned in English Heritage,
Register of Parks and Gardens in England (Grade I). Country Life (article) Feb 25,
1922 p 248. M. Mauchline, Harewood House (1974) p 133. N. Pevsner, Yorkshire West
Riding (1979)p 246.

Listing NGR: SE3118044570

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q89781230

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)