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Where was Downton Abbey filmed?
Published
02 Jul 2021
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Does anyone not love Downton Abbey? The period romantic drama was centred around the historic house and estate of Highclere Castle and tells of the titled Crawley family. The series incorporates historical events as well as fictional stories that reflect the social changes in Edwardian England.
Discover Downton Abbey filming locations here, and take a look at our TV Map of Britain to find your favourite TV show hotspots.
The focal point and star of Downton Abbey is Highclere Castle, a Grade I-listed country mansion built in 1679. You'll find it off the A34 near Newbury. It was renovated in the 1840s and is surrounded by a 5,000-acre estate that includes an 18th-century park designed by Capability Brown. Locations here include the great hall, the library, the music room, dining room, salon, drawing room and several bedrooms.
The fictional Downton village is supposed to lie somewhere between Thirsk and Ripon in North Yorkshire but is actually in Oxfordshire. Many locations around this Cotswold village were used in Downton Abbey, among them St Mary's Church and Churchgate House, the old rectory, which represents the exterior of Isobel Crawley's house.
Bampton's old Grammar School was the exterior of Downton Cottage Hospital. The Downton Fair scenes were shot around Church View, also the site for Downton's fictional pubs, The Dog & Duck and The Grantham Arms.
Interiors for Isobel Crawley's house were filmed at Hall Place, a large 18th-century house in Wycombe End.
This Grade II-listed 17th-century manor was the location for the Dower House, where the Dowager Countess Violet lives.
When Mr Bates leaves Downton in series two, he goes to work at the Red Lion pub. In reality, this was Old Forge Cottage in the Cotswold village of Shilton. The scenes also feature Shill Brook, which is crossed by an 18th-century humpback stone bridge.
Downton Abbey filming location: Swan Inn, Swinbrook, Oxfordshire
Downton's many railway station scenes were filmed at this Bluebell Railway's restored historic station.
Stockers Farm, a Grade II-listed site dating to the early 18th century, is used in Downton Abbey to represent Mr Mason's farm
This 13th-century manor house was used to film both exterior and interior scenes at Yew Tree Farm, home of the tenant farmer Mr Drewe, who fosters Lady Edith's child in series four and five.
Haxby Park is the neighbouring estate to Downton Abbey, where the original owners were family friends. Lady Mary is engaged to its current owner in series two and interiors for the series were filmed here.
Exteriors for Haxby Park were filmed at this colossal 19th-century Rothschild mansion, now owned by the National Trust.