Many of us have seen the marvellous series Downton Abbey. The real Downton is actually called Highclere Castle and is located in the south of England, between Oxford and Southampton.
During a trip to London, we made a detour to see the castle and enjoy their Afternoon Tea. Highclere Castle is an impressive building and has a beautiful park. The castle has been in the Carnarvon family since the late 17th century and is today inhabited by the 8th Earl and Countess of Carnarvon who now open the castle to visitors.
The family has an interesting history and the Cora Crawley of the series has many similarities to Lady Almina who was the 5th Countess of the castle and lived there in the early nineteenth century. As in the series, Lady Almina opened up the castle as a hospital during the First World War. Furthermore, her husband was an explorer and was the one who discovered Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922. So for those who are not so interested in manorial life, dresses and castle views, there is a very interesting exhibition about the discovery in the basement of the castle. Before the visit, I had read the books that Countess Carnarvon has written about her family history, Lady Almina and the real Downton Abbey and Lady Catherine and the real Downton Abbey. Both are well worth reading and provide an exciting insight into a bygone era.
After a guided tour of the castle and the exhibition, we also had time for a walk in the park and a visit to the small shop before it was time for Afternoon Tea. An absolutely fantastic end to a wonderful day.
For all you Downton fans, go here, check out the beautiful hall where the Crawleys celebrate Christmas, check out the bedroom where the Turkish diplomat died a somewhat painful death, or why not the parlour where Lady Grantham drops one of her wonderful one-liners.
English 
Swedish 
German 
French 
Dutch 