Downton Abbey Filming Locations: A guide

The franchise, running for over 15 years, has marked British culture for its depiction of early 20th century England, its tact in tackling stories around social class tensions, and providing us with emotional human drama. Its iconic British manors have attracted many fans on tours around the UK to visit these filming locations. Let’s take a closer look at where these locations are, and how to plan a Downton Abbey-themed trip.

Filming takes place all over the UK, featuring many manors, some of which you may recognise from other famous franchises or films.

Some notable locations include:

• Highclere Castle
• Bampton Village
• Ealing Studios
• Glyndebourne Opera House
• Alnwick Castle

Highclere Castle

The centrepiece of the show is undoubtedly Highclere Castle. Located in Hampshire (UK), Highclere Castle acted as the filming location for the main residence of the Crawley Family. The estate can be visited, with tours depicting its rich history and allowing visitors to step into the world of the Crawleys. 

The estate is open seasonally, so make sure to check the opening dates before planning a trip there. There are multiple activities to do on the estate once there, offering different experiences. The basic guided tour costs £25 (about 28€). The castle is about a 1h30min drive from London.

This Castle was central to the show and definitely the main attraction for a Downton Abbey-themed trip.

Bampton Village

This quaint village located in Oxfordshire acted as the Downton village. Many of the exterior shots of the village were filmed in Bampton, as many of the characters lived in the town. The shots of the market, the church, or the shops were included in the series. 

This village is located at about a 40min drive from Oxford, and offers many holiday cottages to rent out, if you care to visit the picturesque village. If you do not have a car, there is also public transport that will take you there. From Oxford, you can take two buses, which will get you there in under 2h.

Ealing Studios

Although a large part of the show was filmed at Highclere Castle, many of the indoor scenes were built in soundstages, as it is easier for the production crew to manage, rather than on location. These sets were built at Ealing Studios, a movie studio complex located in West London. These included the servants’ quarters, the dining room, and other interior rooms from the manor.

This studio can unfortunately not be visited, as it is active and thus the productions remain confidential. However, if you are in the industry, there are office spaces to rent out.\

Glyndebourne Opera House

As part of Upper British class in the 1900s, the Crawley family were expected to attend many social events. These included plays and operas in grand buildings. These scenes were often shot at the Glyndebourne Opera House, located in East Sussex. This is a functioning and running opera house, offering performances that you can see, if you wish to feel like the Crawley Family. 

The opera house is a 30 minute drive from Brighton and Hove, or a 1h15min bus ride from there. It has a programme that allows individuals of under 30 years old to get tickets for £30 for select performances.

Alnwick Castle

This castle, located close to Newcastle Upon Tyne, has been featured in many films and series over the years. You may recognise it from Harry Potter, or Transformers, or Dungeons and Dragons. Additionally to these blockbuster films, Alnwick Castle was featured in the final episode of the series as Brancaster Castle. 

The castle can be visited seasonally, closing down during the winter months. If you wish to walk through film history, tickets are available online for £21.55 (around €25) for an adult. All tickets purchased on their online website are automatically considered season passes, valid for 12 months from the date of your first visit. These grant you unlimited access during opening hours.

The castle is located about a 1h train ride (or 45min drive) from Newcastle Upon Tyne. Tours are available as a package from other cities, such as Edinburgh.

Other notable filming locations

The abovementioned castles and attractions are the main filming locations for the show. However, there are other notable locations that were scouted to film certain scenes, or just add to the overall Downton Abbey atmosphere that made the show so special to so many. Here is a (non-exhaustive) list of some of these locations:

• West Wycombe Park: This was also used for shots of Brancaster Castle, and more specifically, for the shots in the Blue Drawing room featured in the show. This is located in Buckinghamshire.
• Chiltern Open Air Museum: this museum was used when the production crew needed to film historically accurate rural or village backdrops. The museum is located near Watford. 
• Little Germany, Bradford: This area of Bradford is made to represent York in the show. This is a particularly relevant filming location for Thomas Barrow’s character, as he goes into a gay club there.
  • The gay bar itself is Albion House, on the north side of Hick Street, right off of Burnett Street, in Little Germany.
  • The inside of the bar was filmed at Dalton Mills, also in Bradford. Unfortunately, the Mill burnt down in 2022, and the damage was too extensive to repair. 
• Basildon Park, Berkshire: This establishment represents the Crawley family’s London residence Grantham House, particularly spotlit in series 5, and the 2013 Christmas Special.
• Bowood House and Gardens, Wiltshire: This is for fans of Mr. Carson. His cottage on the Downton Estate was filmed at Bowood House and Gardens. The estate can be visited seasonally, with it closing down during the winter months. Tickets are available online. It is located at a 45 minute drive from Bristol, and 2h from London.

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We hope you found this blog informative and we wish you safe travels!