I have loved watching Masterpiece Theater on PBS stations since I was a little girl. The dramas are usually out of literature or history and the acting, scripts and cinematography are always of the highest quality. They are probably Bob's and my favorite shows on TV. This past fall a new series began called Downton Abbey. It is set in the early 1900's and the story lines revolve around the upper crust family that lives in the mansion (Downton Abbey) and the servants that live downstairs and run the mansion. You have drama, intrigue and romance in this series and along the way you learn a lot about history and the class structure of England during that time period and even the hierarchical structure found within each class. The series was such a success that they have already filmed a second season and will be showing it here this fall and in the US beginning around Christmas.
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| Highclere Castle |
Before I left California, my friend Wendy and I talked about how fun it would be to find a tour that would take me to see the home, Highclere Castle, where the series is filmed. With her prompting, I did just that. The first stop in our tour was at an adorable village called Bampton. Bampton is one of the oldest villages in England dating back to the Romans. All the village, church and street scenes are filmed in this cute village.
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| Bampton-all modern traces need to be removed or covered before filming begins. |
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| Building used as the hospital in Downton Abbey. |
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| another village scene |
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| outside of the church |
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| The Crawley's home. |
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| Inside the church. It will be seen in the 2nd season. |
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another cute home
From Bampton we drove further into the countryside to Highclere Castle.
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Denise, ready for wardrobe and makeup.
Highclere Castle sits on a 5000 acre estate and has between 50 and 80 bedrooms. The present Earl, who is the 8th Earl of Carnarvon, is the Queen's godson. The 5th Earl is known for his discovery of King Tut's Tomb and for falling to King Tut's curse. Shortly after he discovered the tomb, he was bitten by a mosquito and died. The present castle was designed by Sir Charles Barton who also designed the Houses of Parliament. I was not allowed to take pictures inside the Castle so you will just have to watch the series to see what many of the rooms look like. Trust me, they are incredible!
After touring the Castle, I sat under one of the broad, centuries old trees and enjoyed doing what the English do best. I relaxed with a cup of tea and a scone.
Refreshed, I set out to explore the rest of the grounds around Highclere Castle.
Close up of the Castle's detailed architectural work.
Sheep grazing in the fields.
The door knocker on the front door.
The Monk's Garden
Entrance to The Secret Garden.
Thanks Wendy for encouraging me to find the real Downton Abbey!
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DENISE!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI wish I could be there with you touring the set of Downton Abbey, having tea and generally having a wonderful time. I can't wait for your return so we can watch the first episode of season two together. Happy Blogging!!!