Highclere Castle, stately home in Hampshire, England, owned by the earls of Carnarvon. The castle has more than 200 rooms and stands on a tract of about 1,060 acres (430 hectares). It gained fame as the setting for the television series Downton Abbey (2010–15).
Highclere is located on land that came under the control of the bishops of Winchester in 749 and was held by them for some 800 years. In the late 14th century Bishop William of Wykeham was involved in the construction of a palace (bishop’s residence) on the grounds. In 1551, during the Protestant Reformation, King Edward VI confiscated the property from the church. Originally granted by the king to the Fitzwilliam family, Highclere had several owners during the next century and a quarter. A manor house was built in the early 17th century. In 1679 the property was purchased by the politician and future attorney general Robert Sawyer. In the early 18th century Sawyer’s heirs laid out drives and walkways, planted formal gardens, and built several follies—picturesque but nonfunctional structures with names such as Heaven’s Gate and Jackdaw’s Castle.
Henry Herbert, a descendant of Sawyer, inherited Highclere Castle in 1769 and was created 1st earl of Carnarvon in 1793. He brought in the noted landscape architect Lancelot Brown, who planted large numbers of trees and made other changes that gave the grounds a more natural, unplanned appearance. But the most conspicuous changes to Highclere were made by the 3rd earl, who in 1838 commissioned the architect Charles Barry, best known for the Houses of Parliament in London, to remodel the manor house completely in the Elizabethan (or “Jacobethan”) style. The exterior and interior work took decades to complete, and the castle became known for its opulence. Notably, the Saloon now features 17th-century Spanish leather wall coverings collected by the 3rd earl, and the walls of the Music Room are hung with 16th-century Italian embroideries
Highclere Castle later opened its doors to paying visitors and hired out its grand rooms and gardens for several television and film productions, including Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut (1999). However, Highclere made its strongest public impression in Downton Abbey. Julian Fellowes, creator and executive producer of the series, became familiar with the history of the house, and certain details of the show, such as the use of the mansion for the care of World War Icasualties, are based on fact.
Before Downton Abbey, Highclere Castle was known primarily for its association with the 5th earl of Carnarvon, patron of the Egyptological expedition that discovered and opened the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun in 1922. Egyptian antiquities from the 5th earl’s collection were later put on display in the castle.
The castle has more than 200 rooms and stands on a tract of about 1,060 acres (430 hectares). It gained fame as the setting for the television series Downton Abbey
Downton Abbey
Downton Abbey is a British historical drama television series set in the early 20th century, created and co-written by Julian Fellowes.
Queen Elizabeth first came to Highclere Castle as a teenage princess. My father-in-law, the 7th Earl of Carnarvon [the late Lord Porchester, the Queen's racing manager, known as 'Porchey'], was one of her greatest friends; they mixed in the same circles, attending the same dances.
The castle was used as the main filming location for the ITV/PBS drama series Downton Abbey, which brought the castle international fame. The increased numbers of visitors to the castle have allowed for repairs on Highclere's turrets and its interior.
Why do you think Highclere worked so well for Downton? One of the things that Julian would have recognised apart from the beauty of the house, its standing in the historic landscape and that fact it's only 55 miles from London, is its design.
Today, Highclere is home to George Herbert and his wife Fiona, the 8th Earl and Countess of Carnarvon (Lord and Lady Carnarvon), owners of the 'real' Downton Abbey house.
More recently, in 2021, the castle was the venue for the nuptials of the late Queen's godson, the Hon.Harry Herbert, son of the 7th Earl of Carnarvon, and glamorous TV chef Clodagh McKenna.
The cost of a night's stay at Highclere Castle is $186.36. The reservation is first come, first served. What can you expect? The castle sits on more than 1,000 acres and boasts 300 rooms.
Highclere has two restored Lodges which make gloriously comfortable country escapes. London Lodge has one double bedroom as well as a sitting room, kitchen and bathroom, and is available for a minimum of two nights. Grotto Lodge has two double bedrooms - each with their own bathroom, a sitting room and a kitchen.
The castle has more than 200 rooms and stands on a tract of about 1,060 acres (430 hectares). It gained fame as the setting for the television series Downton Abbey (2010–15). Highclere is located on land that came under the control of the bishops of Winchester in 749 and was held by them for some 800 years.
'There are around 200 to 300 rooms and between 50 to 80 bedrooms,' says Fiona, 8th Countess of Carnarvon of Highclere Castle, the ancestral home propelled to fame as the location for Downton Abbey in the popular TV series.
Luckily, the hit TV show has ensured that the Sir Charles Barry-designed castle, which was completed in 1878, can finally pay for its own upkeep. Now I hear Lord and Lady Carnarvon have negotiated an unprecedented £1million location fee for Highclere to feature in the fifth (and possibly final) series of Downton.
During the First World War, Highclere Castle was converted into a hospital for wounded soldiers run by the 5th Countess of Carnarvon. Then, in the Second World War, Highclere Castle was home to children evacuated from London.
Are the Crawleys of Downton Abbey a real family? The fictional Crawleys are based on the Earls and Countesses of Carnarvon, who still reside at Highclere Castle, where the series is filmed (though the fictional Downton Abbey is in Yorkshire, rather than Hampshire, where Highclere is).
The estate that the Crawley clan calls home is the real-life Highclere Castle, and is estimated to be worth $400 million, according to Movoto LLC. One estimate found it would cost more than $8.3 million annually to pay for life at Downton Abbey.
Whilst you cannot stay inside Highclere Castle, you can book a room at one of the two properties located on the Highclere Estate. There are also many nearby hotels and B&B's that provide a perfect base to explore Highclere Castle and the surrounding countryside.
You do know that Downton Abbey is not a real place? However, George V and Queen Mary did visit Highclere Castle, the house used for location shots, in 1917, because they visited scores of military hospitals and Highclere, like its fictional counterpart, was being used for that purpose at the time.
Expect to see exquisite furniture, elaborate decor and treasured artworks from the Royal Collection. There are 19 State Rooms in total, and whilst the filmmakers would have you believe parts of Downton Abbey were shot here, no filming actually took place inside Buckingham Palace.
Introduction: My name is Mr. See Jast, I am a open, jolly, gorgeous, courageous, inexpensive, friendly, homely person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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