The Yorkshire Country House Partnership
Supporting collaborative projects & exhibitions across some of Yorkshire’s finest historic Country Houses
Welcome to the website for the Yorkshire Country House Partnership.
Established in 1999 as a collaboration between seven houses in the county and the University of York, the YCHP is dedicated to researching the architecture, landscapes, collections, families and archives of the country houses of Yorkshire.
Today the membership encompasses the departments of History, English, Archaeology, Art History, and Music at York, together with more than a dozen houses who are involved in some or all of our research projects.
The research outcomes take a number of different forms ranging from dissertations at undergraduate or MA level, doctoral theses and scholarly publications, to exhibitions, seminars, and projects hosted by various houses. Please see the related links for past and current projects and publications.
The partnership is chaired by Christopher Ridgway, Curator at Castle Howard, and partnership adminstration is run through York Art History Collaborations (YAHCs), Department of History of Art, University of York.
New for 2026:
Plants, Trees and the Country House
The Yorkshire Country House Partnership (YCHP) is delighted to announce its shared theme for 2026: Plants, Trees and the Country House. Throughout the year, participating houses across the region are showcasing a diverse programme of exhibitions, displays, and activities celebrating the botanical heritage of the country house.
Plants and trees are integral to the history of the country house—from the gardens and estates that surround them to the botanical motifs in their interior design and the natural materials used to create their furnishings. The 2026 theme offers a unique opportunity for each house to highlight specific areas of their collections, ranging from the intricate floral details on ceramics to the ancient trees standing in their parklands.
