| Important Information about Downton Abbey Tour | |
|---|---|
| Duration of Trip | 1-2 Days |
| Best Time to visit | Mar-May |
| Type of Trip | Road Trip |
| What is Downton Abbey Famous For | Downton Abbey Shoot Locations |
| Route | London to Cotswold via M40 and A40 |
Downton Abbey Real Castle and locations guide
The six seasons spanned around the family drama of wealthy Crawley family and their too much Englishness is over and done with, but it still lives in the heart of fans through the lavish castles and English villages that still stand all around London. The cast and crew of the show spent a large number of time scouting for perfect monuments, towns, and castles to get you your most authentic English drama. And if you are a hardcore fan of this English series, then you’re in luck because the sets still stand in form of the original locations spread across East to West of England. There are actually Downton Abbey locations that you could visit in a day from London. All you really need is a rental car, a GPS and a few basic location names, which we aim to give you right here.
Downton Abbey Best Shoot Locations to See
1 Highclere Castle
The large intimidating Victorian manor house that the show is known for is none other than the Highclere Castle in Hampshire, England. You could literally experience the Downton Abbey first hand by simply visiting the castle which offers tours and is open to the public in all summer months. The Castle belongs to Earl and Countess of Carnarvon and the generations have been holding it since 1679. If stories are to be true, author of the show, Julian Fellowes is a family friend and had planned the background keeping the manor in his mind, as he penned this award-winning show.
2 The Downton Village
A lot of scenes from the show catering to the Downton Village were shot in Bampton, Cotswolds. Most of the exterior scenes of the Crawly Manor were positioned at the picturesque background of the charming villages of Cotswolds including Bampton. The scenes from pubs, post office or even the local church come from this region. And if you remember the Downton Hospital, that is actually a Bampton Community Archive next to the post office. A visit there would offer you souvenir mugs from the show and other memorabilia.
3 Alnwick Castle
This Northumberland monument was widely filmed in multiple scenes, remember the library dance scene where Lay Mary and Henry Talbot? The Castle was a perfect backdrop for the scene when the Crawley family was invited by Lord Sinderby for the grouse shooting party. A visit there now would get you real-time experience of the show as you walk through the Downton Abbey exhibition displaying props, costumes and pictures from the shoot.
4 Lincoln Castle
A historic monument that stands in Lincoln England, Lincoln Castle not just offers an open view of the countryside, the city and the cathedral from its premises but this Norman Castle with its stone curtain wall and mottes also is home the prison scene from Downton Abbey. As John Bates gets locked up in S3 of this English drama, viewers get to see the 11th-century structure that was used as the prison. A drive through Lincolnshire could you an upfront encounter with this Downton Abbey shoot location as it’s open to the public.
5 Cogges Manor Farm
Situated in Oxfordshire, Cogges Manor Farm is a charming family farm that was pictured in Downton Abbey as the Yew Tree Farm where Mr Drewe lived with his family. The same house where they took Marigold, Lady Edith’s child in Season 5/ Cogges Manor Farm is open to visitors giving them the tv show themed tour along with a chance to feed farm animals. This Downton Abbey destination is quite a popular tourist destination now.
6 Criterion Restaurant
Based in the heart of London, Criterion Restaurant in Piccadilly is quite known for its elegant rooms, grand architecture and the ancient Neo-Byzantine. Its historic presentation has it a place in numerous shows including Downton Abbey. It was where they shot the scene where Michael Gregson takes Lady Edith in order to disclose his plan to apply for German citizenship. This Downton Abbey destination is often closed or opened base don the renovation but you could always walk by it and click a picture from the outside.
7 Kensington Gardens
Once a part of the Kensington Palace with a deep connection to Prince William and Prince Harry, Kensington Gardens was shot as one of the Downton Abbey locations mostly because of the Albert Memorial. You can easily recognize it from the episode where Harold, Cora’s brother, Madeleine and William AllsoppViolet and Math Levinson went for a park picnic right in front of the Albert Memorial. It’s not just a place to refresh Downton Abbey memories but also a good family spot good picnic option, nearby cafes to visit and then there’s Diana Memorial Playground for kids.
8 Hoxton Hall
Arts and community center, Hoxton Hall is home to many notable performances. Music and theatre lovers would love the place anyway; for Downton Abbey fangirls and fanboys, Hoxton Hall is the backdrop of the episode where Lady Rose loosened up and decided to go to servant’s tea dance. Hoxton Hall with its Victorian music hall was a perfect shooting spot for that particular scene. This East London attraction also has had many incarnations from gospel church, art gallery to air-raid shelter offering lots of history to history-mongers.