Castle Howard by Hawksmoor. The grounds of Castle Howard are also used as part of at least two charity running races during the year. Located on the Estate, but operating separately to the house and gardens and run by an entirely independent charitable trust, is the Yorkshire Arboretum. Originally created through the enthusiasm and partnership of George Howard (Lord Howard of Henderskelfe) and James Russell, over a period of eighteen years, from 1975 to 1992, it was opened to the public for the first time in 1999 and a new Visitor Centre opened in 2006.The arboretum's extensive and important collection of 6,000
English landscape garden and gardens which appeared around the world in the 19th century. The English landscape garden was centred on the English country house. The predecessors of the landscape garden in England were the great parks created by Sir John Vanbrugh (1664–1726) and Nicholas Hawksmoor at Castle Howard (1699–1712), Blenheim Palace (1705–1722), and the Claremont Landscape Garden at Claremont House (1715–1727). These parks featured vast lawns, woods, and pieces of architecture, such as the classical mausoleum designed by Hawksmoor at Castle Howard. At the center of the composition was the house, behind which were formal and symmetrical gardens in the style of