Vanbrugh 300, is a National Lottery Heritage Fund-supported project celebrating the 300th anniversary of Sir John Vanbrugh, one of Britain’s most significant architects and dramatists, and the designer of Grimsthorpe Castle.
As part of Vanbrugh 300, they will be running a series of free community engagement activities and events at Grimsthorpe Castle in 2026, alongside a wider national programme across six historic houses.
A key aim of the project is to reach people who may not have visited a heritage site before, and to make these places feel welcoming, accessible, and relevant to local communities.
John Vanbrugh was a great playwright-turned architect, and was born in London in 1664.
Vanbrugh joined the English army in 1685, the first year of the reign of James II. When he left the army, he worked for another cousin outside Oxford, and, in the summer of 1688, travelled to Holland to join forces with those who were encouraging Protestant William of Orange, James II’s brother-in-law, to invade and take the throne.
Having got himself arrested in Calais before the invasion, he spent the first four years of the reign of William and Mary in prisons in France.
When he returned to England in 1693, he was close friends with a number of prominent Whig politicians, supporters of Protestantism, war against France and the new regime. He was made a member of their club, known as the Kit-Cat Club.
The Club’s dinners were an opportunity for politicians and writers to enjoy each other’s company and this introduced Vanbrugh to many of the grandees who later employed him to design their country houses including:
Vanbrugh died on 26 March 1726. He was buried in St. Stephen’s, Walbrook, London, which had been designed by Sir Christopher Wren.
Less than a century after his death, the architect John Soane described him as ‘The Shakespeare of Architects’, with ‘all the fire and power of Michael Angelo and Bernini’. He is one of the architects who has a statue on the Albert Memorial.
When: Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st June 2026
Where: Grimsthorpe Castle, Bourne, PE10 0LY
This event will include lively storyteller performances, along with creative workshops for families and community groups alike to drop-in and try their hand at any number of activities, from paper costume making, creating Vanbrugh style cardboard buildings or even the opportunity to share in a mini performance based on Vanbrugh’s restoration comedies.
When: 30th April through to 30th September 2026
Where: Grimsthorpe Castle, Bourne, PE10 0LY
Join Grimsthorpe Castle for an exhibition to celebrate Sir John Vanbrugh, an important figure in Grimsthorpe’s history with a year-long, nationwide festival presented by the Georgian Group.
When: 15th to 21st June 2026
Where: Grimsthorpe Castle, Bourne, PE10 0LY
Join Grimsthorpe Castle for Vanburgh Week featuring talks and more.
Follow this link to the Vanbrugh 300 website for more details.
