Don’t Be Defeatist Dear, It’s Very Middle Class

I have watched every single episode of Downton Abbey, have seen both movies, and can’t wait for the third. The writing is impeccable, the cast are wonderful, but the star of the show is the stunning setting. So when I discovered that Highclere Estate was less than an hour’s drive away, visiting was a no-brainer.

Highclere has been owned by the Carnarvon family for centuries. The earliest records of the estate date back to 749 AD. The medieval palace was replaced in the 1600s, after being purchased by the Carnarvon family. The present Victorian building began construction in 1842. It was designed by Charles Barry, which explains its similarity to the Houses of Parliament. There are up to 300 rooms. The gardens were designed by Capability Brown – quite a pedigree, However, like many other stately homes, the upkeep is incredibly expensive, so its doors have been opened to the public. In 2010, it became world famous for its starring role in Downton Abbey, and things haver never been the same.

On a visit, you can go through many rooms in the house, as well as the Egyptian exhibition at your own pace, and wander freely around the gardens and grounds. After the splendid drive through the grounds, we parked the car and walked to the ticket booth. The unmistakeable outline of Downton appeared, amid manicured lawns and perfectly shaped trees. We could picture all those exterior shots of a carriage or a motor car pulling up outside the grand front entrance, tyres crunching on gravel, with the lineup of servants waiting to greet their esteemed guests. No such luxury for us – we joined the queue waiting to be shown inside. Queuing is no bother when you have plenty to look at, including wyverns crouched on either side of the front steps, and menacing wolves’ heads on the heavy timber doors.

There is a strict No Photography policy inside, so the camera remained in the car, and we just enjoyed strolling through. It’s very well set up for visitors in terms of traffic flow, and although busy, it didn’t feel overly crowded. Each room is richly decorated with family portraits and more recent photos, lots of books, and some amazing pieces of furniture; the most prized possession being a desk and chair that belonged to Napoleon Bonaparte. The rooms that are most well known from the TV series have large cast and production photos on easels. It was fun to see the library, the music room, the drawing room, the bedrooms, the dining room, and the grand hall with its famous staircase. We learned that the kitchens and other below-stairs rooms were not the ones at Highclere, which have been modernised. Instead they used studio sets in London. Lady Grantham’s maid, O’Brien, would appear from behind a door which was actually a cupboard. And of course the Dowager Countess, played by the inimitable Maggie Smith got all the best lines: “Principles are like prayers. Noble of course. But awkward at a party.”

But the story of the house and the family is deeper and richer than simply a backdrop. The 5^th Earl of Carnarvon was a keen Egyptologist, who teamed up with renowned archaeologist Howard Carter. They worked together in partnership and friendship for 15 years, and discovered Tutankhamun’s tomb together. The Earl was entitled to keep 10% of what he found, under the licence conditions, but most of his extensive collection was sold to pay for death duties. The rest was packed away into storage, only to be rediscovered and displayed by younger generations of the family. It is quite a remarkable story. The Earl was also a motoring enthusiast (and the bane of the local constabulary), photographer, racehorse owner, and golfer; all of this despite ill health. He died just 6 weeks after their famous find was revealed to the public and media in 1923.

It took about 2 hours to tour the interior. After lunch back at the car, we returned, with camera, to see the beautiful gardens, and to look at the exterior details of the house. The family have been very smart, balancing the keen interest in the estate with their own private lives – opening the doors carefully and selectively and allowing us a brief peek into how the other half live. I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed the views. We took Captain K along with us, as he is rather partial to a stately home. Turned out to be a bad idea. Now he’s nagging us for an upgrade to his living quarters.

The House