For those who know me well, it’s no secret how much I love Downton Abbey. It is one of my favorite shows of all time! With that in mind, you can imagine how much I had dreamed about one day visiting Highclere Castle in real life. Walking down the gravel road the Grantham family drove up, stepping into the library where tea was always served, and marveling at those incredible bedroom views of the estate was something I had always imagined experiencing. It was an absolute must for my mom and I (she is a huge fan as well!) to take a trip out to the countryside during our London adventure this past summer. Not only did we see Highclere Castle, but we also went to the village of Bampton where the recognizable town of Downton was filmed. Here is a recount of our wonderful Downton Abbey adventure!
There are many tours you can take out of London that will take you out to Highclere Castle. However, as we wanted to go at our own pace and spend more time out in the country, we decided to rent a car and drive out to the Downton sights ourselves. We spent three nights in a spectacular Airbnb in the tiny little town of Burghclere, located about a 5 minute drive from Highclere Castle. This was my favorite Airbnb stay to date. The hosts were so kind, and we were greeted with not only a very loving cat but homemade scones as well! The English garden out back was a picturesque bonus. We were staying right across from a local sports club with a pub that our host told us, “Oh yeah, I saw the cast of Downton in there all the time when they were filming.” How cool is that! We walked a few minutes down the road to a local pub for dinner on our first night. Our adventure was off to a wonderful start!
In the morning we drove from Burghclere to the town of Bampton, made famous for becoming the town of Downton in all of the series and the movies. It was surreal to get to walk around the little grassy center you always see the characters walking around in the show!
We stepped into the church where Mary and Mathew got married and walked by Violet’s iconic house as well. The building used as the Downton Cottage Hospital in the show is now a newly added visitor center thanks to all the money the show brought into the town! It had only been open two weeks when we visited! It looked like we were some of the first people to stick pins on the “where are you from” map inside.
After we had seen everything in Bampton (there isn’t a whole lot, but still, it’s Downton!) We were ready to drive back and go to Highclere. However, an unexpected complication arose when we saw one of the back tires of our rental car was as flat as a pancake! It had been completely punctured by a huge nail. Thank goodness we were in an English speaking country where we were able to easily call the car company who sent an AA guy out to help that was there in less than an hour. We walked across the street to the Bampton Coffee House and grabbed a cappuccino to pass the time while we waited.
Phew! We were on the road again safe and sound! We were worried because it was late afternoon when this hiccup occurred, and we had reservations to be at Highclere that evening! There’s always something 🙃
We arrived at Highclere Castle at around 4:30, with plenty of time to snag some pictures before the 5:00 tour started. The drive through the grounds of the estate to the castle was unreal. Rolling green hills with flocks of sheep here and there made it feel like we were in a storybook. And then there was the castle. Thinking back on that moment when we first caught sight of it is so special. It was truly breathtaking!
At 5:00 sharp we were let inside the castle and were presented with glasses of champagne by the butler. To clear any confusion, my mom and I were not the only ones here, about 30 or so people were there for the evening tour we had booked online. Once everyone had their champagne and were milling about in the entry hall (the Downton entry hall!) Lady Carnarvon walked down the stairs and welcomed us into her home. This was very unique, as she is the real lady of the house who gets to call Highclere her home! She was very friendly and told us several stories about life at the castle and answered people’s questions on what it was like living here while Downton Abbey was being filmed. What a life! No pictures were allowed to be taken inside the castle, which was great because it allowed everyone to just be present in the moment and take it all in.
It felt surreal to get to stand in the library where the family always stood and quarreled with each other, and to pass down the long hallways looking inside all the fancy and familiar bedrooms. We learned so many interesting behind-the-scenes facts too, like how cramped it was in the dining room with all the crew members and actors when the dinner scenes were filmed. While Lady Carnarvon had many dogs of her own, the dog in the show was not one of her own. I knew this beforehand, but many do not know that all the scenes with the servants downstairs were filmed at a studio in London, not in the actual kitchens of the castle.
After the tour was over, we were allowed to go into the Egyptian exhibition underneath. I knew there was some connection to the family of Highclere Castle and exploration in Egypt, but what I did not know was how big of a tie there was! Archaeologist Howard Carter and Highclere’s 5th Earl of Carnarvon were the ones to discover the tomb of King Tut in 1922! Remarkable!
After our time wandering the Egyptian exhibit, we made our way back outside to walk around the grounds some more. I did not want to ever leave. Especially in the evening, just as the sun was going down, the castle against the bright green estate was so beautifully lit.
We waved goodbye to Highclere as we drove away back through the rolling hills, past the sheep, and back out to the real world. It is still surreal to me right now as I write this that I was able to visit Highclere Castle. Watching Downton Abbey now, I am nothing but grateful to be one of the few people out there who can relate to what it’s like to step through the front door, be greeted by the butler, welcomed by Lady Carnarvon, and sip champagne in the same entry hall the Grantham family did.