Harewood House Trust: Major landscape development to begin at Grade II-listed Leeds country house

Harewood House Trust has launched a major project to reimagine the historic landscapes and gardens surrounding the iconic Leeds country house.

The historic home of the Earl and Countess of Harewood, welcomes over 250,000 visitors a year to the Grade II listed house, now run by the independent educational charity Harewood House Trust. 

The Trust are now embarking on a significant new project to repurpose the Grade II listed Bakehouse into a new welcome centre complete with visitor facilities and a family activity space. It will sit within new gardens that celebrate seasonal planting and sustainable gardening techniques, extending down to the nearby lake through what used to be the Bird Garden. 

In the renewed landscape, the old play area will be replaced with a new imaginative and inclusive playground with appeal to all ages and abilities. 

The large project is led by Yorkshire-based Bauman Lyons Architects, who have extensive experience in renovating listed buildings and have a deep understanding of heritage and conservation. They have recently worked on projects including the Museum of Making at Derby Silk Mill and at Hull Minster.

Guy Smith of Bauman Lyons said of the Harewood project: “We are delighted to collaborate with the client and wider design team on this exciting new scheme at Harewood. It is a great privilege to be working on one of Yorkshire’s most important and beautiful estates.”

The new gardens and landscapes are being designed by the Landscape Agency in partnership with award-winning designer Mattew Wilson. 

The Landscape Agency has previously worked with the Royal Horticultural Society, National Trust and English Heritage, as well as Bramham Park, Castle Howard and Yorkshire Sculpture Park. 

Matthew Wilson is an award-winning garden and landscape designer, writer, presenter and lecturer who has extensive garden design experience.

He said: “It’s fantastic to be working on this prestigious and important project. Harewood House is a much loved part of Yorkshire's heritage with national and international significance, so to be able to contribute to the reframing of part of the landscape is a real privilege, and along with my colleagues at The Landscape Agency is a challenge we relish.”

Rachel Crewes, CEO of Harewood House Trust, added: “We are delighted to announce the appointment of such impressive teams at the outset of this project. Their combined experience of creatively developing public heritage spaces, with great sensitivity to conservation, sustainability and accessibility, will undoubtedly deliver fantastic enhancements to Harewood’s visitor offer. 

“The project kickstarts an exciting time of growth for our independent educational charity and we are excited to share our vision.”