Deck the grand halls
BRIDGERTON fans are in for a behind-the-scenes festive treat as location Castle Howard gets set to embrace Christmas on an epic scale.
Lavish decorations are weaved through the grand halls and there’s the showstopper of a 30ft frozen Christmas tree adorned with more than 2500 baubles. The castle was built by the Carlisle branch of the Howard family, who have continued to manage the North Yorkshire estate for more than 300 years.
The latest generation, Nicholas and Victoria Howard, are passionate about keeping these traditions alive, and invite cameras behind closed doors to experience the season from their perspective.
It’s a busy time of year as 2000 visitors flow through the galleries and state rooms. Nicholas is hands-on with photographing the annual Christmas card, digging toys out of the cupboards for bedroom decorations and making a lethal bowl of Howard Artillery punch for staff.
Victoria also reveals the challenges of maintaining one of the nation’s most visited tourist attractions for generations to come.
This year, the castle – which shot to TV fame in 1981 as the setting for ITV series Brideshead Revisited – has been transformed by creative director Charlotte Lloyd-Webber and her theatrical team of designers, assistants and makers.
Decorations are elaborately hand-decorated and they are going large this year with an extravagant Christmas in Narnia theme.
But when the giant tree arrives late and requires emergency surgery with a chainsaw, the Howards and their creative team face a massive struggle to fit it and flock it without damaging their priceless ancient Greek statues.