Visiting Highclere Castle: The Real Downton Abbey

If you’re a Downton Abbey fan, visiting Highclere Castle may be one of those experiences you’ve imagined while watching the series. There’s something about the Crawley family, the history, the clothes and, of course, that magnificent house that keeps drawing you back.

I’m a fan too. So when I had the opportunity to visit Highclere Castle, the real country house that became Downton Abbey on screen, I couldn’t resist. What I discovered was that there is much more to Highclere than Downton Abbey.

Visiting Highclere Castle

When I visited Highclere Castle in 2014, everything looked much as it does on television — upstairs, at least. Walking through those familiar rooms was a little like stepping into the series.

Downstairs was a different story.

You won’t find the familiar servants’ quarters at Highclere; the downstairs scenes were filmed on a studio set. Instead, you’ll find something I thought was just as fascinating: an Egyptian exhibition.

Highclere has a remarkable connection to the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb. The 5th Earl of Carnarvon financed Howard Carter’s excavations in Egypt and was there when the tomb was discovered in 1922. The exhibition tells that story through photographs, documents and reproductions of objects found in the tomb.

That connection was especially interesting to me because I’ve visited Egypt twice, and Tutankhamun’s tomb both times. Visiting Highclere Castle because of Downton Abbey led me to another fascinating connection to history.

Planning Your Visit to Highclere Castle

A visit to Highclere Castle makes an easy day trip from London. It’s about 60 miles west of the city. You can take the train from London Paddington to Newbury, as I did, and continue by taxi. Arrange your return taxi in advance, as taxis do not wait at the castle.

Highclere is a private home and isn’t open every day. Check the Highclere Castle website for current opening dates and reserve your tickets before making your plans.

Allow time to see the State Rooms, Egyptian Exhibition, gardens and grounds — and perhaps stop at the Tea Rooms and Gift Shop.

The main State Rooms and Egyptian Exhibition are accessible to manual wheelchairs, but the upstairs gallery requires climbing a long, steep staircase. Some garden paths are also on grass or uneven surfaces.

Photography isn’t permitted inside the castle, but you can take photographs outside and around the grounds.

More Than Downton Abbey

If you’re a Downton Abbey fan and your travels take you to England, visiting Highclere Castle is worth considering. Go to see the real Downton Abbey, but leave time to discover the history that was there long before the cameras arrived.

If visiting Britain’s historic royal residences interests you, you might also enjoy my article about visiting Buckingham Palace.