Last Updated on 01/14/26 by Rose Palmer
“What IS a week-end?”
The Dowager Countess of Grantham, as played by Dame Maggie Smith in the Downton Abbey series, delivered many pointed one-liners that defined her indomitable character. This is one of my favourites.
Downton Abbey would not be the same without Maggie Smith, nor without the backdrop of the imposing structure of Highclere Castle, the real-life estate that stands in for the fictional Crowley home.
The real Downton Abbey
Before being famous as the stand-in for Downton Abbey, Highclere Castle was best known as the home of the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, George Herbert. Lord Carnarvon married the American Rothschild family heiress, and together they played a key role in funding Egyptologist Howard Carter as he unearthed King Tutankhamen’s tomb.
English archaeologists played a key role in the early days of Egyptian excavations. Before my planned tour to Egypt, I made it a point to visit the Egyptian exhibits at the British Museum and the Petrie Museum at University College London. I had also hoped to see the Egyptian exhibit at Highclere Castle, but alas, I could not get a ticket.
I’ve long wanted to visit Highclere Castle, which is only about an hour outside of London, but my timing was never quite right. Either Highclere was not open to tours, or tickets were all sold out. This time, as I passed through London before a Baltic cruise from Southampton, I managed to snag a ticket to the castle just as it was opening for spring tours.
Highclere Castle is not open to the public all year. There are a variety of programs offered intermittently throughout each season. It is still the home of the current Lord and Lady Carnarvon, and they live in the castle when it is not overrun by tourists.
Getting to Highclere Castle
There are many day tour options available from London to Highclere Castle, which can be booked through sites like Viator or Get Your Guide (reserve early). I purchased my ticket directly on the Highclere Castle website and used the information on the website to plan how to get there and where to stay nearby.
My plan was to visit Highclere Castle before heading to the city of Bath for a few days. I chose to stay two nights in the nearby town of Newbury, which was midway between London and Bath.
Newbury was easily accessible via a direct train from Paddington station in London (I use the Trainline app to book train tickets). Paddington was also the station where the Heathrow Express terminated, making it easy to get to Newbury once my flight landed.
In Newbury, I booked a stay at the well-rated Coat and Bear, a boutique hotel with its own gastro pub. The hotel was a convenient 10-minute walk from the train station, so no taxi was needed.
My room at the Coat and Bear was a wonderful blend of traditional English country charm combined with modern amenities. I appreciated the USB ports by the bed, a walk-in shower, and the in-room coffee and tea station. Plush towels, a soft robe, and a very comfy bed helped make it easy to recover from jet lag.
Newbury was a cute market town situated on the Avon and Kennet canals. On the Sunday that I visited, the centre of town was car-free and locals were strolling and enjoying a sunny spring day. I later learned it was also a Bank Holiday weekend, which explained the festive air about town.
Both evenings I ate dinner at the Coat and Bear and enjoyed each meal immensely, in particular the traditional sticky toffee pudding. I also had brunch at GAIL’s Bakery Newbury where I tried a sausage roll and a cinnamon bun, both of which were quite tasty.
My visit to Highclere Castle
I allotted a full day for my visit to Highclere Castle and its gardens. I didn’t want to feel rushed, plus I knew I would still feel tired and jet-lagged and would not want an early start. The hotel ordered a taxi, which drove me the 10 minutes to the castle entrance.
I had a 12:30 PM ticket into the castle, which allowed me to enter anytime between 12:30 PM and 2:30 PM. I arrived around noon and started exploring a little of the expansive parkland that surrounded the house while it wasn’t raining yet.
As with many grand homes in England, Highclere Castle has a long history. A bishop’s residence existed on the grounds as early as the 14th century. It was rebuilt in 1649 and then renovated again in the 1840s to the version we see today.
Around 1 PM, I went to the entrance door – the same door that I had seen so many times in the series with the staff and the Crowley family standing in a line as they greeted guests into their home. For such a grand building, I had expected the entrance to be more imposing.
Crossing the threshold was like stepping through a time warp to another time and place. I was no longer in the 21st century – I was in the 1920s with the Crowley family (though the decor was from an earlier time period). It was eery how familiar it all looked.
Surrounded by the 5000 books and the coffered ceiling, I could easily picture Maggie Smith sitting on the plush red sofas in the library. Or Mr. Carson standing in between the room’s entry columns as he announced a visitor. (Sadly, no photos were allowed inside).
The tour was self guided, and I took my time going from room to room with docents available to answer questions. They provided some fun insights into what it was like when the cast and crew filmed the series and the movies.
I walked through all the rooms on the first floor, though not all of them appeared on screen. I instantly recognised the Music Room, the Smoking Room, and the Drawing Room. In the Dining room, it was easy to picture the whole Crowley family sitting around the long table as the footmen served dinner.
Among the centuries of antiques and stately treasures that were on display, there was also evidence that this was a modern family’s home. Smiling family photos were lovingly interspersed along with the ancient portraits and historic photographs.
The tour continued upstairs, where I walked through some of the many restored bedrooms. Some were made up to look like the bedrooms in the show, though I understand that most of those scenes were filmed primarily on a set.
The house tour ended with a graceful walk down the main staircase into the Great Hall, much like Lady Mary did during her wedding scene. The grand two-story Great Hall was where the Crowley family entertained guests and held important functions. And even though it was a grand room, I thought that it looked smaller than it did on the telly.
The Egyptian exhibit at Highclere Castle
I purchased a ticket that also included the Egyptian exhibit located in the cellar of the Castle. The exhibit consisted of two sections. One room had original Egyptian antiquities that Lord Carnarvon discovered in minor digs in Egypt.
The second display showed reproductions of some of the items found in King Tut’s tomb (the originals are in Cairo). I was surprised to find that there were no original items from King Tut since it was common practice for excavators to keep some of their finds.
Later, I read that the Egyptian authorities did not allow any of the Tutankhamun artefacts to leave the country. Regardless, the pieces on display were exquisite and included a copy of the famous King Tut face mask, a sarcophagus, and a royal chair. (No photos allowed).
Food and drink at Highclere Castle
The tour ended at the back exit of the house with its red brick facade. The back looked completely different from the famous yellow stone front. This was also where the tea rooms and the shop were located.
It was now time for a short rest, which I took in one of the tea rooms on site. At certain times of the year, Highclere offers a formal afternoon tea experience, but not on the day I was there. Still, a cup of hot lavender Earl Grey tea and a slice of lemon Victoria sponge cake hit the spot.
Besides tea and cake, there were also sandwiches, wraps, and a variety of coffees and other goodies. A cute food truck with outdoor seating also offered more options (a nice spot to sit as long as it wasn’t raining).
The gardens at Highclere Castle
After finishing my tour of the inside of the castle, I took my time exploring the gardens and the parkland some more. There was no time limit, and I stayed till almost closing time.
The gardens were designed by the famous landscape designer Capability Brown. The landscape was a combination of formally planted and manicured garden beds and a less managed parkland with grass paths mowed through the wilder growth.
The Walled Garden
The Monk’s Garden
The Secret Garden
Throughout the landscape, there were also a number of smaller buildings and follies. Mowed trails lead to all of them.
Most impressive, though, were the huge, ancient trees that framed the castle. Only the passage of hundreds of years could create such stately specimens. For me, it was the trees, rather than the building, that demonstrated the age of the estate. Lady Mary’s bench, positioned under one of these beautiful specimens, was a particularly pleasant spot for a break.
At the end of my tour, I planned to order an Uber to take me back to my hotel. However, I couldn’t connect to the Uber site in that remote location. Fortunately, a taxi was waiting in the parking lot; otherwise I would have had to figure out how to call one.
The Downton Abbey series and movies have made Highclere Castle a world-recognised location. However, the estate was also featured in other movies: The Secret Garden (1987); Robin Hood, the Prince of thieves (1991), Eyes Wide Shut (1999); Agatha Christie’s Marple (2004), just to name a few.
I am glad I finally had a chance to visit Highclere Castle. Now I will enjoy watching the Downton Abbey movies and TV series even more.
Other related stories:
A day trip from London: A Day with Royals, Romans, and Ruins – Visiting Historic Stonehenge, Windsor, and Bath
Visiting Hampton Court Palace: A Day Trip to Hampton Court Palace – A Taste of Henry VIII Tudor Court
How to spend one day in London: Have Only One Day in London? I Made It a Perfectly English Day
My European Waterways barge cruise on the River Thames – My Magna Carta Barge Review – History, Heritage, and Haute Cuisine on the Thames River
All about my two days in Bath: How I Spent Two Days in Bath, England with Romans, Jane Austen, and Quilts
Thanks for visiting.
Rose
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