If you are enthralled by the British television series Downton Abbey, you'll love visiting the real thing. Highclere Castle, near Newbury, about 65 miles from London, is the setting for the popular period drama. And all of the house and grounds, inside and out, are used. Best of all, Highclere is open to the public throughout the summer and on selected days in the Spring. But popular as it is, Downton Abbey adds just the latest gloss to a house whose inhabitants have been part of history for hundreds of years. Home of the Carnarvon family, its aristocratic inhabitants have include George, Earl of Carnarvon, patron and friend of Howard Carter, discoverer of Tutankhamun's tomb. Some of the 5th Earl's collection of Egyptian antiquities in on display. His wife, Lady Almina, chatelaine of Highclere at the turn of the 20th century, was a colorful character herself and could very well have inspired several of the storylines in the current series.
Find out more about Highclere Castle and how you can step behind the scenes of Downton Abbey.
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Richard Munckton