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The west wing was added by the 4th Earl's son-in-law. Sir Thomas Robinson. The stables were designed by John Carr in 1781. With its tall arched windows, pilasters, frieze, balustrade and bristling urns and statues, the great house spreads from a central block into wings, with a cupola, unheard of for houses at this date, forming a magnificent central climax. Indoors the grandeur continues with the great marble entrance hall, lit by the dome, a suitable introduction. The house has a vast treasure of statuary, furniture, china, miniatures and paintings by masters such as Rubens, Tintoretto, Van Dyck, Canaleito and Reynolds. Perhaps its most famous picture is Holbein's 'Henry VIII'. The house has remained in the Howard family. It has been open to the public throughout its existence. The 1,000-acre park has two lakes and many notable ornaments, including Vanbrugh's Temple of the Four Winds and Hawksmoor's Mausoleum, the size of a Wren church. The house itself is commemorated in a 100ft obelisk on the road through the park, erected in 1714. In memory of his wife, the late Lady Cecilia, Mr George Howard has developed exquisite rose-gardens, including one given over to 18th-c favourites. The Costume Galleries contain the country's largest private collection of garments from the 18th c till today.
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