Leeds Festival 2002 will see just over 100,000 people attend this August bank holiday weekend. The UK music festival will run from Friday, August 26 to Sunday, August 28 with headliners including Arctic Monkeys, Bring Me The Horizon and Rage Against The Machine.
Set in the spectacular grounds of Bramham Park between Leeds and Wetherby, the Grade I listed 18th Century country house could perhaps be overlooked in the shadow of all the fun and entertainment.
The mansion is architecturally significant and a rare survivor of its time period. Built around 1698 it is neither Baroque nor typically Palladian in style due to being between two of those time periods. The house was built by an unknown architect in the style of a 16th-century Florentine villa.
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Created for its first owner, Robert Benson 1st Baron Bingley, he wanted a house in the style of great Tuscan villas he had seen on a grand tour of Europe and wanted it to reflect classical Italian architecture.
Two wings flank a central block which contain the kitchen in one and the chapel in the other - symbolising the needs of both body and spirit, according to Britain Express website. The mansion also boasts 12 bedrooms and two bathrooms.
When Benson died, the estate came into the possession of the Lane Fox Family with one of its most prolific owners being George Lane Fox. MP for Beverley, he was known as "the gambler" for his wild lifestyle.
A devastating fire in 1828 meant the house stood empty for 80 years and eventually the property went to George Lane Fox's grandson of the same name. The estate has remained in Lane Fox's possession for 300 years and is now owned by direct descendent, 58-year-old West Yorkshire Deputy Lieutenant Nick Lane Fox.
The elder brother of three, James, 48, and Edward, 38 (with the latter being Prince Harry's private secretary), Nick took the reins from his father in 1997 after the death of his mother Victoria.
His grandfather, also called George Lane Fox, introduced the Bramham Horse Trials in 1973 which sees around 60,000 people attend his property. When the estate became home to Leeds Festival in 2003, it provided more income and also somewhat of a safer destination.
The first festival had been based at Temple Newsham since 1999 and gained a bad reputation in the media after reports of festival-goers rioting and also hurling missiles at performing acts. Bramham Park provided a fresh image for the event which also allowed the family to make improvements such as renovating the grassland and buildings.
The spectacular grounds have several amazing features in its gardens such as the chapel, the temple, the open temple, the gothic temple and the rotunda. The estate office, park and gardens are only open via appointment only on weekdays between 9am and 4pm. Prices are £8 for adults and £5 for children.
Bramham Park House is available for hire for both private and corporate events. It has also provided the location for many TV shows and films including the ITV series Victoria, the Oscar-winning film The Darkest Hour and the BBC Series Gentleman Jack.
The garden and grounds are closed the last week of May and the first two weeks of June due to the Bramham International Horse Trials. Closures also happen during August, due to Leeds Festival so unfortunately, festival-goers cannot visit, before it closes again for most of September.
They are also closed weekends and bank holidays. To find out more information, please visit the Bramham Park website here.
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