Situated 12 kilometres to the north of Leeds, the Harewood House lies in a landscape of even, sandy hills. Spanning from east to west, between 200 and 500 metres above sea level. The Stank Beck runs through Harewood’s park landscape. From south to north and flows into the River Wharfe. To the east lies Harewood village that used to be a relay point for travelling coaches in the 18th century.

The organisation of the Harewood estate avoids common geometric principles of a layout. The approaches and paths are formed as asymmetrically connected scenic drives. These generate a cinematographic composition, much like an urban circulation pattern.

The southern paths make use of the forms of the topography. The asymmetry of the site is accentuated even more, rather than disguised. Perspective is provided in the horizontal composition by the main band of trees of Piper Wood which comes up to the lake. The Harewood house is here also only revealed after exiting the enclosed woods and entering the open meadowland.