Crown and Garter, Hungerford, BerkshireHighclere Castle
Filmed at Highclere Castle, ITV's very successful period drama - ‘Downton Abbey’
Downton Abbey, the major drama series from ITV was filmed on location at Highclere Castle. A second series of this very successful production is now being filmed at Highclere Castle and will be screened in Autumn 2011.
This costume drama, written and created by Oscar-winning writer Julian Fellowes and made by Carnival Films, stars Maggie Smith as Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham, Hugh Bonneville as Robert, Earl of Grantham and Elizabeth McGovern as Robert's wife, Cora, Countess of Grantham.
They lead an all-star cast, which also includes: Penelope Wilton, Dan Stevens, Michelle Dockery, Jim Carter, Phyllis Logan, Lesley Nicol, Siobhan Finneran, Rob James Collier, Joanne Froggatt and Rose Leslie. Set in an Edwardian country house in 1912, Downton Abbey portrays the lives of the Crawley family and the servants who work for them.
Highclere Castle, now owned by the 8th Earl and Countess, has been home to the Carnarvon family since 1679. Built on an ancient site, the original house was recorded in the Domesday Book. Sir Charles Barry, the architect also responsible for building the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, designed the present-day Castle in 1842.
The Castle's history also includes a fascinating connection with ancient Egypt, as the 5th Earl, with Howard Carter, discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings in 1922. The Castle now houses an exhibition that commemorates this historic event, including some rare antiquities from the 5th Earl's earlier Egyptian excavations.
The Castle and its grounds and open to the public during the summer and only occasionally in winter, so it is best to check before you travel.
Highclere Castle is only 20 minutes from the Crown and Garter and there is so much of interest that you can easily make yourself a ‘Highclere weekend’ based at the Crown and Garter.
You can find directions to the Crown & Garter by putting your postcode/starting address in the box below:
