This book is the first complete study of the circumstances which led to the building of Castle Howard, one of the greatest & best-known English country houses. It describes how & why Charles Howard, third earl of Carlisle, decided to build it; how the architect Sir John Vanbrugh received his first commission; how the building was paid for & where the money came from; how the gardens & park were laid out; & the decision to build the first classical mausoleum in Engl&, designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor. The Building of Castle Howard is the historical detective story of a house which Sir John Vanbrugh was determined should be `the top seat & garden of England`.