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From www.ukheritage.net Immediately before the Norman invasion, the land that is now the site of Harewood was owned by three Saxon Chieftains, known by the names of Tor, Sprot and Grim. By the time the Doomsday Record was made, the land had been gifted to the Norman nobleman Robert de Romelli and a castle was built here in the twelfth century to guard the now prosperous market town surrounding it. The castle seems to have been abandoned in the mid-seventeenth century and the stone re-used for building elsewhere in the village. The twin towers can still be seen however, as you drive along the Harrogate road. By 1365, it had passed into the hands of Sir William Aldburgh, messenger to Edward Balliol, claimant to the Scottish Crown, who was supported by Edward I of England. Balliol is said to have taken refuge at Harewood and both his and Aldburgh's arms can still be seen on the ruined castle walls. Aldburgh's two daughters shared inheritance and residence of Harewood. The original pre-Norman church was rebuilt in the early fifteenth century for the grand-daughters of William Aldburgh and was subsequently remodelled during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It still houses some fine alabaster carvings, memorials for the successive families who owned Harewood.
The estate passed through various owners until, in 1738, it was bought by Henry Lascelles, whose descendants still own it and live in apartments above the house. A family with an ancient lineage, the Lascelles made their money principally in the sugar plantations of Barbados and it was this fortune which enabled the present Palladian mansion on top of the hill to be built by Edwin Lascelles in the middle of the eighteenth century. Edwin commissioned John Carr of York to design the house, outbuildings and model village which still stands, but in 1758, he showed the plans to the up and coming Robert Adam. Adam added semi-circular back-courts to Carr's plan, but Carr rejected one of them and the Victorian occupiers of Harewood demolished the other. Despite this, the interior of Harewood retains some of Adam's greatest interiors, with fully integrated room designs of carpet, architectural decoration, ceilings and plaster mouldings. He used his usual band of collaborators, including Joseph Rose, William Collins, Angelica Kaufmann and her husband Antonio Zucchi and Biagio Rebecca. Local man Thomas Chippendale supplied most of the furniture and the park was landscaped by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown and later, Humphrey Repton.
Edwin Lascelles' cousin and heir, Edward, added to the existing collection of portraits and became the 1st Earl of Harewood. His son, also Edward, was a friend of Turner, who painted the castle at Harewood during his Northern Tour and he was a collector of Chinese and French porcelain. The 3rd Earl, Henry, married Louisa Thynne and it was Louisa who called in Sir Charles Barry to enlarge and alter the house according to the new tastes and fashions. The huge Terrace on the south facade was added and some of the Adam interiors were remodelled. The present Earl's father added substantially to the collection of paintings and the house regained much of its eighteenth century appearance between 1929 and 1939. During both World Wars, Harewood was used as a convalescent hospital. As well as the various collections of eighteenth and nineteenth century owners, there are twentieth century art works now on display at Harewood, including the monumental Adam by Epstein in the Entrance Hall and various sculptures and paintings in Lord Harewood's Sitting Room. The present day Harewood caters very well for visitors, with numerous events staged here. The gardens are extensive and there is a Bird Garden where endangered species are part of a successful captive breeding programme.