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Brideshead Revisited

Year: 1981
Director: Michael Lindsay-Hogg
Cast: Jeremy Irons , Anthony Andrews, Diana Quick, John Gielgud , Claire Bloom, Mona Washbourne, Laurence Olivier .
Set Locations:
Northern England: Castle Howard in Yorkshire was the home of the Marchmain family and also used was Tatton Park in Cheshire
Adapted from the 1945 novel of the same name by Evelyn Waugh ; Brideshead Revisited tells the story of Charles Ryder, who falls in love with the Brideshead Estate and becomes entwined in a tale of forbidden love and lost innocence.

The 2008 film casts Matthew Goode as Charles, Ben Whishaw and Hayley Atwell as Lord Sebastian Flyte and his sister Julia. The two both seek the love of Charles, all the while under the watchful eye of Sebastian's staunchly catholic mother (played by Emma Thompson). Michael Gambon also stars as Sebastian's father.

Sebastian is shocked and distraught when he sees Charles kissing Julia in Venice and eventually flees to live in near poverty in Morocco. Charles and Julia meet again many years later and realise that the love between them is still strong and agree to leave their partners to be together again. Julia's Catholicism eventually gets the better of her and she is unable to renounce her faith, so the two part ways again. Charles finally returns to Brideshead during World War II, which has now been requisitioned by the army. He learns that Julia (now the owner) is serving in the reserves and that Sebastian is dead. He pays his final respects in the Chapel and then leaves.

The location chosen to represent Brideshead in the film was Castle Howard. Castle Howard is a stately home in North Yorkshire, situated about 15 miles from the historic Roman city of York . It is not actually a castle as such, but is one of the grandest stately homes in the United Kingdom. The residence was built mainly around the end of the 17th century and the beginning of the 18th century. The magnificent Grade 1 listed building has been associated with Brideshead Revisited for over a quarter of a century now, as it was chosen to be the set of the popular 1981 television serial, which starred Jeremy Irons as Charles Ryder.

The house also features extensive gardens, including a formal and landscaped garden. The landscape also features two prominent out-buildings, The Temple of the Four Winds and the Mausoleum. Several other follies, including a ruined pyramid currently under restoration, and a 127 acre arboretum all add to the reasons to visit Castle Howard. Chatsworth House , near Bakewell in Derbyshire, was also considered by the film makers. This breathtaking country house is the seat of the Dukes of Devonshire, and well worth a visit in its own right.

Places to stay nearby:
Great places to stay nearby in Yorkshire include Burythorpe House Hotel & Restaurant, Manor Farm B&B , an Inn called the Talbot Hotel and in Cheshire, Cottons Hotel & Spa, Mere Court Hotel or Longview Hotel & Restaurant

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On this day:
First Edition of Daily Mirror - 1903, The Balfour Declaration - 1917, BBC Television begins broadcasting - 1936, M1 Opens - 1959, Penguin Wins Lady Chatterley Case - 1960
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