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Using money raised by National Lottery players, The National Lottery Heritage Fund supports projects that connect people and communities with the UK’s heritage. Vanbrugh 300 is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to develop a nationwide project that aims to broaden the awareness of Vanbrugh through special displays, free education programmes and lectures, throughout his tercentenary year in 2026.
Seaton Delaval Hall
Join our expert guides daily for an introduction to the gay Delavals, the most notorious of Georgian partygoers and pranksters and discover the story behind Sir John Vanbrugh's 300 year old masterpiece.
Blenheim Palace
Coming in 2026, our new exhibition Blueprints of Power will shine a light on Sir John Vanbrugh’s brilliant mind, his rivalries and ambitions and take visitors on an immersive visual experience through his early life and theatrics as playwright all the way to his high-stakes partnership with Sarah Churchill, first Duchess of Marlborough.
Kimbolton Castle
Visit Kimbolton Castle on one of only two open days each year. Enjoy a self-guided tour of the state rooms, including the Queen’s Room, where Katherine of Aragon died. Discover one of Sir John Vanbrugh’s lesser-known architectural gems, with a special exhibition exploring his connection to Charles Montagu, 4th Earl of Manchester.
Wider events
300 years after his death, a major new exhibition exploring one of the UK’s greatest architects - Sir John Vanbrugh (1664–1726) – will open in the spring at Sir John Soane's Museum.
Wider events
Charles Saumarez Smith will be in conversation at the Lichfield Festival with their very own Annette Rubery, an academic, theatre historian, editor and author with a special interest in Vanbrugh and his circle.
Seaton Delaval Hall
We’re bringing the joy, humour, decadence and drama of Seaton Delaval Hall to life in a spectacular projection artwork - a show of the grandest proportions where today’s cast of players are waiting in the wings for their moment to shine.
Wider events
A Celebration of the Life of Sir John Vanbrugh at St Stephen Walbrook.
Wider events
The Georgian Group's 2026 Symposium (in partnership with the Ax:son Johnson Centre for the Study of Classical Architecture) will be ‘Vanbrugh: From Stage to Stone‘.
Seaton Delaval Hall
Get ready for a weekend bursting with creativity and fun for all ages. Enjoy a lively storytelling performance, roll up your sleeves to craft your very own Vanbrugh‑inspired wearable architecture, and don’t miss a special performance by local community group Northern Butterflies. Bring the whole family and dive into a day full of imagination, laughter, and hands‑on adventure.
Wider events
As part of our Vanbrugh300 festival, architectural historian Rory Fraser will reconstruct the India that Vanbrugh experienced during his visit in the 1680s, based on close study of contemporary accounts and his own visit to Surat. As Rory describes the social, cultural and political world of late 17th century India, we will see how the world of Mughal India may have confronted and inspired Vanbrugh.
Wider events
Charles Saumarez Smith's lecture will focus on John Vanbrugh's landscape and garden buildings, particularly at Castle Howard, Claremont and Stowe, focusing on these buildings and Vanbrugh's approach to their design.
Blenheim Palace
Get ready for a weekend packed with creativity, imagination, and activities for all. Settle in for a lively storytelling performance, roll up your sleeves to make your own John Vanbrugh‑inspired wearable architecture, or explore the hidden stories in his buildings through movement and play in a fun, family‑friendly drama session.
Whether you come with family, friends, or a community group, there’s something for every curious mind. Dive into a day full of laughter, discovery, and hands‑on adventure.
Blenheim Palace
One of a series of free lectures funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund taking place at Blenheim Palace and presented by Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill with an expert panel to discuss the life and work of Sir John Vanbrugh.
Castle Howard
Get ready for a weekend packed with creativity, imagination, and activities for everyone. Settle in for a lively storytelling performance or build your own castle from our giant Vanbrugh-inspired play shapes.
Wider events
Jeremy Musson, author of The Country Houses of Sir John Vanbrugh: From the Archives of Country Life, 2008, explores the nature of Vanbrugh’s great houses, shares his memories of his visits for his 2008 book, and reflects on Vanbrugh’s continuing reputation, and his continuing admiration for the inventive and compelling language of Vanbrugh’s letters on architecture.
Stowe House
One of a series of free lectures funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund taking place at Stowe house, as Ophelia Field and Rory Fraser explore Vanbrugh’s lifelong ties to the Kit-Cat Club, revealing its influence on his career, politics and culture – and its lasting imprint on Stowe.
Grimsthorpe Castle
Grimsthorpe will be welcoming Charles Saumarez Smith CBE and architectural historian Jeremy Musson to Grimsthorpe this summer as part of VANBRUGH 300.
Grimsthorpe Castle
Get ready for a weekend packed with creativity, imagination, and activities for all. Settle in for a lively storytelling performance, roll up your sleeves to make your own John Vanbrugh‑inspired wearable architecture, or explore the hidden stories in his buildings through movement and play in a fun, family‑friendly drama session.
Kimbolton Castle
SAVE THE DATE: One of a series of free lectures funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund taking place at Kimbolton Castle, as Simon Thurley discusses Sir John Vanbrugh
Stowe House
Get ready for a weekend packed with creativity, imagination, and activities for all. Settle in for a lively storytelling performance or explore the hidden stories in his buildings through movement and play in a fun, family‑friendly drama session. Whether you come with family, friends, or a community group, there’s something for every curious mind. Dive into a day full of laughter, discovery, and hands‑on adventure.
Castle Howard
!!DATE TO BE CONFIRMED!! One of a series of free lectures funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund taking place at Castle Howard exploring personal perspectives and living with Vanbrugh.
Seaton Delaval Hall
Introduced by Sandy Nairne, Vanbrugh scholar Sir Charles Saumarez Smith discusses Vanbrugh’s career and links to Seaton Delaval Hall. Archaeologist Mark Newman shares how investigations have provided insight into Vanbrugh’s involvement in the hall.
Kimbolton Castle
Visit Kimbolton Castle on one of only two open days each year. Enjoy a self-guided tour of the state rooms, including the Queen’s Room, where Katherine of Aragon died. Discover one of Sir John Vanbrugh’s lesser-known architectural gems, with a special exhibition exploring his connection to Charles Montagu, 4th Earl of Manchester.
Seaton Delaval Hall
One of a series of free lectures funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund taking place at Seaton Delaval Hall, as Annette Rubery and Nick Helm explore Vanbrugh’s plays and theatre.
Seaton Delaval Hall
As playwright, soldier, spy and adventurer, Vanbrugh is one of the most colourful architects in English history, yet relatively little is known about him. Here Rory Fraser gives a sense of the character that lay behind his legendary facades.
Grimsthorpe Castle
!!DATE TO BE CONFIRMED!! One of a series of free lectures funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund taking place at Grimsthorpe Castle with Loyd Grossman