Highclere Castle, Hampshire – Downton Abbey

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Series · 2010–2015, films 2019–2025

Where wasDownton Abbeyfilmed?

Downton Abbey is Highclere Castle, still lived in and open on about 70 days a year – which is why the tickets go the day they are released. The village is Bampton, the hospital is its library, and the kitchens and servants' hall were never in the house at all.

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Tours from $210.63★ 4.7 · 958 reviews

Photo: Richard Munckton from Windsor…, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

COLD OPEN

Six series between 2010 and 2015 and three films, all shot at Highclere Castle in Hampshire for the house, Bampton in Oxfordshire for the village, and Ealing Studios for the kitchens and servants' quarters, which do not exist at Highclere. The Carnarvon family still lives at Highclere and opens it on a limited number of days; that scarcity, not the distance, is what makes it hard to visit.

SC 00 · MAP OF THE FILMING LOCATIONS

Where Downton Abbey was filmed: 10 locations you can visit

England1Highclere Castle 2Bampton 3Cogges Manor Farm 4Byfleet Manor 5Basildon Park 6Lancaster House 8Harewood House 9Wentworth Woodhouse 10Alnwick Castle
Scotland7Inveraray Castle

ACT IEngland9 locations

Richard Munckton from Win… · CC BY 2.0

EXT. HIGHCLERE CASTLE – HIGHCLERE

Highclere Castle

as Downton Abbey

The exterior, the great hall, the library, the drawing room, the dining room and the main bedrooms are all Highclere. The kitchens, the servants' hall and the back stairs were built at Ealing – Highclere's own kitchens were not usable.

VISITING

Open to the public on around 60 to 70 days a year, selected spring dates between March and June and a summer opening from mid-July to early September (closed Fridays and Saturdays), plus event days; tickets are timed and dated, must be pre-booked and are neither transferable nor refundable. The standard ticket covers castle, Egyptian exhibition and gardens; a cheaper castle-and-gardens ticket leaves out the exhibition. About 10 km south of Newbury; no bus, taxi from Newbury station, about 15 minutes; pre-book the return, none wait at the castle.

NOTEThe following year's spring and summer open days appear in the castle's ticket shop by the autumn before, with dates and admission slots. Book as soon as your date is listed. If you miss it, the coach tours from London hold their own allocation.

9 tours · from $210.63 →

St Mary's church in Bampton, Oxfordshire, the church of Downton village

Richard Rogerson · CC BY-SA 2.0

EXT. BAMPTON – BAMPTON

Bampton

as Downton village

St Mary's church is the church of the weddings and funerals; the old grammar school by the churchyard is the cottage hospital; Churchgate House opposite is Isobel Crawley's; the village square and the Downton pub scenes are on Church View.

VISITING

Free – a real village with a small archive in the Old Grammar School (the library building that played the cottage hospital), open daily 10:00–16:00, volunteer-run so occasionally closed. About 29 km south-west of Oxford and 8 km from Witney; bus 19 serves the village.

NOTEThe archive sells a map of the exact spots, 'The Downton Mile'; proceeds go to the archive.

2 tours · from $115.51 →

The manor house and kitchen garden at Cogges, Yew Tree Farm in Downton Abbey

Gareth James · CC BY-SA 2.0

EXT. COGGES MANOR FARM – WITNEY

Cogges Manor Farm

as Yew Tree Farm

The Drewes' farm where Marigold is placed in series five and where Mrs Patmore's pigs live.

VISITING

A heritage farm, open daily from mid-February to the start of November plus Christmas events, admission also sold on entry; in Witney, 20 minutes from Oxford by bus.

Byfleet Manor in Surrey, the Dowager Countess's house

Rachel Nienaber · CC BY-SA 4.0

EXT. BYFLEET MANOR – BYFLEET

Byfleet Manor

as The Dower House

Violet Crawley's house, exterior and the drawing room where she receives visitors.

VISITING

Private house in Surrey; it is let for weddings and occasionally opens for tours – check its own site. Not visible from the road.

Basildon Park in Berkshire, Grantham House in Downton Abbey

Photograph by Mike Peel (… · CC BY-SA 4.0

EXT. BASILDON PARK – READING

Basildon Park

as Grantham House, London

The family's London house in series four – the ballroom for Rose's coming-out ball, the dining room and the hallway.

VISITING

National Trust, open most days with admission; near Pangbourne, 15 minutes from Reading by train then a walk.

Lancaster House on The Mall, Buckingham Palace in Downton Abbey

Financial Times · CC BY 2.0

INT. LANCASTER HOUSE – LONDON

Lancaster House

as Buckingham Palace

The palace interiors when Rose is presented at court and in the 2019 film's royal scenes.

VISITING

A government building on The Mall, open only on rare heritage days.

9 tours · from $210.63 →

Harewood House and its parterre, the ball of the 2019 Downton Abbey film

Worldfootage · CC BY-SA 4.0

EXT. HAREWOOD HOUSE – LEEDS

Harewood House

as Princess Mary's house in the 2019 film

The first film's climactic ball was shot in the house; the King's parade was on the village green at Lacock, Wiltshire.

VISITING

Open most days in season with admission; 12 km north of Leeds, bus 36 from the city.

Wentworth Woodhouse in winter, the largest private house in Britain

Paul Clarkson (Paulrach) · CC BY-SA 4.0

EXT. WENTWORTH WOODHOUSE – ROTHERHAM

Wentworth Woodhouse

as The royal servants' quarters, the 2022 film's interiors

The largest private house in Britain stood in for royal interiors and the ballroom in both films.

VISITING

Run by the Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust; house and gardens open Tuesday to Sunday and bank-holiday Mondays with general admission and optional guided tours, occasional closures for private events. Near Rotherham, South Yorkshire.

The Outer Bailey lawn at Alnwick Castle, where Harry Potter's first flying lesson was filmed

Benjamin Smith · CC BY-SA 4.0

EXT. ALNWICK CASTLE – ALNWICK

Alnwick Castle

as Brancaster Castle

The 2014 and 2015 Christmas specials: the family rents Brancaster for a shooting party; the library, the State Rooms and the ramparts.

VISITING

Open in season until late October with admission; also a Harry Potter location.

ACT IIScotland1 location

Inveraray Castle in Argyll, Duneagle in the Downton Abbey Christmas special

Caitlinhassan · CC BY-SA 4.0

EXT. INVERARAY CASTLE – INVERARAY

Inveraray Castle

as Duneagle Castle

The 2012 Christmas special: the Crawleys visit their Scottish cousins; the castle's armoury hall and the loch shore.

VISITING

Open Thursday to Monday in season with admission, pre-booking recommended; 90 minutes from Glasgow by car, buses run.

SC 11 · BOOK THE SCENE

Highclere and Downton Abbey tours, with ratings

Highclere sells its own tickets and they go fast; the coach tours from London bundle admission with a guide and the village of Bampton on a single day, which is the realistic way to see both without a car. Check the date – the house is closed for most of the year – and whether the tour includes entry or only the grounds.

Free cancellation on most toursReal review counts from the booking partnerSame price as booking direct

Highclere Castle and Downton Abbey day tours from London 9 tours compared →

Coach day trips of eight to ten hours: Highclere with admission and, usually, Bampton on the way back; some add Oxford or the Cotswolds. They run only on Highclere's open days, so the calendar is thin. Check that the ticket says 'castle entry included' – the cheaper ones may be grounds only.

Most booked

Downton Abbey & Highclere Castle Tour from London, with Oxford

★ 4.7 · 958 reviewsvia Viator

from$210.63Check availability

London: Downton Abbey Tour with Highclere, Bampton & Oxford

★ 4.7 · 675 reviews10 hoursvia GetYourGuide

from$206.82Check availability

Downton Abbey and Village Small Group Tour from London

★ 4.8 · 333 reviews9 hoursvia GetYourGuide

from$246.85Check availability

Show all 9 offers

From London: Downton Abbey and Village Coach Tour

★ 4.7 · 269 reviews9 hoursvia GetYourGuide

from$213.49Check

Downton Abbey and Village Coach Tour from London with Highclere

★ 4.7 · 188 reviewsvia Viator

from$217.42Check

London: Downton Abbey Countryside Black Taxi VIP Tour

★ 4.9 · 22 reviews9 hoursvia GetYourGuide

from$1252.92Check

London: Private Round-Trip Transfer To Highclere Castle

★ 5.0 · 9 reviews3 hoursvia GetYourGuide

from$667.16Check

From London: Downton Abbey Tour and Walking Tour of Oxford

★ 4.3 · 6 reviewsvia Tiqets

from$193.08Check

Oxford University and Highclere Castle Day Tour

★ 4.5 · 5 reviews10 hoursvia GetYourGuide

from$860.63Check

Downton village tours: Bampton and the Cotswolds

Most booked

Cotswolds Day Tour from Oxford - Explore Downton and Beyond

★ 4.9 · 17 reviewsvia Viator

from$115.51Check availability

London: Downton Abbey Cotswolds Private Tour by Black Cab

★ 5.0 · 1 reviews9 hoursvia GetYourGuide

from$1267.60 / groupCheck availability

Booked through GetYourGuide, Viator or Tiqets (affiliate links, advertising). Most tours can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours ahead. Prices in US dollars as of 23 September 2026; the checkout shows your currency.

LOCATION MANAGER'S NOTES

Tips before you go

Highclere's spring and summer open days for the following year are already on sale in its ticket shop by autumn. If you want a specific date, buy as soon as it is listed.
Bampton is open every day and free; if Highclere is sold out, Bampton plus Cogges is still a Downton day.
There is no public transport to Highclere; the coach tours are the answer without a car.
The 'servants' quarters' are not at Highclere and never were; do not go looking for them.
Highclere's Egyptian exhibition in the cellars is about the 5th Earl and Tutankhamun and is included in the standard ticket but not in the cheaper castle-and-gardens ticket – allow half an hour.
Photography is not allowed inside Highclere.

CONTINUITY ERRORS

What the internet gets wrong

~~Highclere is open all year~~Actually

About 60 to 70 days, on selected spring dates from March to June and from mid-July to early September. Outside those days the gates are closed and the house is a private home.

~~The kitchens and servants' hall can be seen at Highclere~~Actually

They were sets at Ealing Studios. Highclere's real kitchens are not on the tour.

~~Downton village is near the castle~~Actually

Bampton is some 70 km by road from Highclere in another county. The production drove between them.

~~The Dower House is open to visitors~~Actually

Byfleet Manor is a private house let for events; it opens only on announced tour dates.

PRODUCTION LOG

Production notes

2010: Filming begins at Highclere in spring; the series premieres on ITV in September.
2011–2015: Series two to six; Highclere's visitor numbers roughly triple.
2019: The first film shoots at Highclere, Harewood and Lacock; released in September.
2022: A New Era films in England and on the Côte d'Azur.
2025: The Grand Finale is released in September.