Once I became a fan of the popular television series Downton Abbey, Highclere
Castle quickly found its way onto my travel bucket list. On my recent trip to
England I not only visited the estate where the series was filmed but I also
toured the scenic Oxfordshire locations that doubled as fictional Downton Village and Yew
Tree Farm.
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Highclere Castle, the Real Downton Abbey |
Tickets for Highclere Castle can be
purchased through their web site but the estate is a bit of a journey from
London so we decided to take an International Friends Downton Abbey Filming
Locations tour. Our excellent guide knew all about the show and entertained us
with anecdotes about the characters and storylines on the journey to Cogges
Manor Farm.
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Cogges Manor Farm (Yew Tree Farm) |
Cogges Manor Farm (Yew Tree Farm)
Yew Tree Farm first appeared in Series 4 of
Downton Abbey as the home of tenant farmer, Mr. Drewe. Chickens roamed freely about
the Cogges Manor farmyard and jugs of fresh flowers brightened the rustic
kitchen where the series’ scenes were shot. A popular piece of Downton
memorabilia on display was the birth certificate of Lady Edith’s love child, Marigold.
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Farmyard Chickens |
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Oxford Sandy and Black Pigs |
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Manor House Kitchen |
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Marigold's Birth Certificate |
Bampton Village (Downton Village)
The next stop on our tour was the tiny Cotswald
village of Bampton. Our guide pointed out the buildings used for exterior shots
of Downton Cottage Hospital; Mrs. Patmore’s new B&B; the shed where
Thomas stored black market goods; and many more familiar locations from the show.
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Bampton Library, Downton Cottage Hospital |
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Churchgate House, Mrs. Crawley's Home |
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Mrs. Patmore's B&B |
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Thomas's Shed |
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Church View, The Dog & Duck Pub |
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The Village Green |
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The Wall |
I also had the chance to sit in a pew at St. Mary's Church like I was among the invited guests at a Downton Abbey wedding (or jilting as the case may be).
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St. Mary's Church, St. Michael & All Angels |
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Church Graveyard |
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Church Entrance |
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A Downton Abbey Wedding (almost) |
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Interior of St. Mary's Church |
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Photos of Lady Mary's Wedding |
Highclere Castle (Downton Abbey)
Our final stop for the day was Highclere
Castle, home to the eighth Earl and Countess of Carnarvon who open their doors to
the public for weddings, tours and special events. We arrived in time for lunch
at one of the estate’s three tea rooms.
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Highclere Castle |
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Tea Room Outdoor Seating |
After lunch I followed the visitor route through
the castle to such memorable settings as the Dining Room where the Crawley
family gathered for extravagant meals; the Library where the Dowager Countess
delivered so many of her zingers; and then upstairs to the first floor Gallery
where the lifeless body of the Turkish diplomat was hustled out of Lady Mary’s
bedroom in the dead of night. At the end of the route I tried to summon a
little of Lady Mary’s grace as I descended the grand oak staircase to the
Saloon. Unfortunately photography isn’t allowed but a few photos are posted on
the Highclere Castle web site. Details on the Spring Opening 2017 are also now available.
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Highclere Castle Entrance |
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Wyvern (Mythical Winged Dragon) Boot Scraper |
Before leaving the castle, I toured the
Egyptian Exhibition in the cellar. George Herbert, the fifth Earl of Carnarvon,
partnered with archeologist Howard Carter to discover the tomb of King Tutankhamun.
The exhibit at Highclere Castle features some of the relics they unearthed as
well as replicas of the boy pharaoh’s coffin and death mask (now in the
Egyptian Museum in Cairo).
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Egyptian Exhibit at the British Museum, London |
The thousand acre parkland of the Highclere
estate was designed by famous landscape gardener, Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown. Decorative
architectural structures called follies are scattered about the grounds,
including Heaven’s Gate on a hilltop and Jackdaws Castle overlooking the East
Lawns. The only thing missing from the pastoral scene was Lord Grantham walking
his faithful dog, Isis, beneath the 200-year old cedars.
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Highclere Castle Parkland |
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Wild Flower Meadow |
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Jackdaws Castle Folly |
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Heaven's Gate Folly |
Before returning to our motor coach for the journey back to London we had time to wander through the Monk’s
Garden where a row of lavender
bloomed along the garden’s West Wall.
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West Wall of the Monk's Garden |
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Yew Arches |
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The Walled Garden |
It was a wonderful day with an itinerary to
please any Downton Abbey fan. For more information on this Downton Abbey
Filming Locations tour, visit the International Friends web site.
There are also rumours circulating of a
possible Downton Abbey movie. Now wouldn’t that be grand?
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