Highclere Castle

Highclere Castle Home of the 8th Earl & Countess of Carnarvon and the film location of Downton Abbey Highclere Castle has been home to the Carnarvon family since 1679.

Built on an ancient site, the original house was recorded in the Domesday Book. The present day Castle was designed in 1842 by Sir Charles Barry, the architect also responsible for building the Houses of Parliament in Westminster. The Castle’s history also includes a fascinating connection with ancient Egypt, as the 5th Earl, with Howard Carter, discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of

the Kings in 1922. The Castle houses an exhibition that commemorates this historic event, including some rare antiquities from the 5th Earl's earlier Egyptian excavations. We welcome many visitors each year to view the Castle, the Egyptian Exhibition and the surrounding Grounds and Gardens. This unique setting is also available for private events, corporate events and film locations. We are open on set dates throughout the year. Please see our website for our opening times and prices - https://www.highclerecastle.co.uk/public-opening-times-and-prices .

Today it is the wonderful Penelope Wilton’s birthday 🎂 💕, who you may know as Isobel Crawley 🎬. Together, with Dame Magg...
03/06/2026

Today it is the wonderful Penelope Wilton’s birthday 🎂 💕, who you may know as Isobel Crawley 🎬.

Together, with Dame Maggie Smith, Penelope brought us much joy and laughter, with the brilliant delivery of her lines.

Lady Violet and Mrs Crawley had the most brilliant friendship and banter with each other 🤭

Penelope Wilton and Maggie Smith also starred together in The Best Exotic Hotel Marigold (which is a must watch 📽️😍).

Happy Birthday Penelope 🥰✨

The ceiling in the Saloon is every bit as beautiful as the room itself 🏰💛💫
03/06/2026

The ceiling in the Saloon is every bit as beautiful as the room itself 🏰💛💫

There are two paintings of the 1st Earl of Carnarvon, Colonel Henry Herbert, in the Castle🎨 . The first is in the libra...
01/06/2026

There are two paintings of the 1st Earl of Carnarvon, Colonel Henry Herbert, in the Castle🎨 . The first is in the library above the fireplace and depicts him before he was ennobled. The second is also above a fireplace but this time in the Dining Room. It is larger and was painted to mark the honour of his ennoblement by King George III 👑.

Apart from the character of the man represented, what is perhaps most striking about these paintings are the beautiful, intricately carved wooden frames in which both are set🪵🥰 . The carvings are three dimensional and sculptural which gives increased depth to the paintings. They are quite beautiful although I am not sure of their provenance💕 .

Read more in my latest blog: 'Wood Carving' 🖊️
https://www.ladycarnarvon.com/blog/wood-carving

Just like in Downton, we host 12 games of cricket on Sundays throughout the summer 🌞In fact used our cricket pitch to f...
31/05/2026

Just like in Downton, we host 12 games of cricket on Sundays throughout the summer 🌞

In fact used our cricket pitch to film 🎬💚. My husband Geordie is an enthusiastic, though often frustrated cricketer 🤭, and I always very much enjoy watching the game 🫶🏼 especially with a glass of pimms 🍹

In 1958 my father-in-law captioned a match against the late HRH Duke of Edinborough and a cricket ball was launched rather close to the Queen 🏏

Even if you do not perfectly understand cricket, it makes for a wonderful afternoon 🌞💛

This photo was in fact taken through the middle of a Jammie Dodger ❤️. You may ask why I am telling you this, it is beca...
29/05/2026

This photo was in fact taken through the middle of a Jammie Dodger ❤️. You may ask why I am telling you this, it is because today is National Biscuit Day 🍪🍪

📸 Paul Mac - Chauffeur and brilliant photographer !!

Much of Downton Abbey was filmed at the Castle, however some scenes were also filmed at Ealing studios…🎬 It was so cleve...
28/05/2026

Much of Downton Abbey was filmed at the Castle, however some scenes were also filmed at Ealing studios…🎬

It was so clever how it was threaded together. The same paint colours were used at Ealing as at Highclere for example and thus 6 of our stairs were reproduced in Ealing to continue the scene 2 weeks later🫶🏼

The magic of the movies - starring Great Britain

hollywoodactor

Are we at Downton Abbey or Highclere? 🤭✨ On the top floor of the Castle, you will find the Robing Room. The cupboards i...
27/05/2026

Are we at Downton Abbey or Highclere? 🤭✨

On the top floor of the Castle, you will find the Robing Room. The cupboards in this room hold treasures of the past… 🏰

The view today from the very top of the castle today🫶🏼. It is magic seeing our visitors gather beneath the great cedar t...
26/05/2026

The view today from the very top of the castle today🫶🏼. It is magic seeing our visitors gather beneath the great cedar trees, for moments of shelter from the sun and a fresh breeze- they offer us so much 💚

Driving back through the park in the late evening, the car headlights often catch the pale heart shaped face of a barn o...
26/05/2026

Driving back through the park in the late evening, the car headlights often catch the pale heart shaped face of a barn owl perched on a particular fence post. Barn owls are masters of nocturnal hunting, perfectly evolved for silent flight and possessing outstanding night vision 🌜🔦.

Walking out with the dogs 🐕 in the half-light of the early evening, I often hear them screech and catch a glimpse as they circle over the grassy fields studded with trees looking for voles, mice, shrews and rats. With their wide wings barn owls can glide 🦉slowly whilst their fringed, soft, velvet-like feathers both dampen sound whilst their serrated leading edges break up air turbulence💨 .

Read more in my latest blog: 'The Barn Owl' 🖊️

Imagine you are waking up one morning, which of the bedrooms would you prefer to be in? Each have a magical view but the...
24/05/2026

Imagine you are waking up one morning, which of the bedrooms would you prefer to be in? Each have a magical view but they are all slightly different … 🫶🏼✨

Mercia bedroom faces south and was used as Lord and Lady Grantham’s bedroom 💛

Portico bedroom was used as Lady Sybil’s room. It has the most beautiful rocking horse called Rosalie, she once resided in the Nursery upstairs and is rather fun for our visitors to see 💕

East Anglia faces the lawns in front of the 1743 temple called Jackdaws Castle 🫶🏼.

Which room would you like?🛏️✨

Address

Highclere Park
Newbury
RG209RN

Telephone

01635 253 210

Website

https://friendsofhighclere.com/, http://www.highclerecastle.co.uk/

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