Downton Abbey Hotel & Filming Locations

The Grand Drama

The Real Highclere and the Downton Locations

Downton Abbey is one of the most watched TV dramas in history. The show made Highclere Castle in Hampshire — the real-life seat of the Carnarvon family — famous worldwide. Today you can stay on the estate in beautifully restored cottages.

The exterior village scenes were filmed in Bampton in Oxfordshire — a picture-perfect English village with a 12th-century church. The village pub, the Downer Arms in the show, is the real-life Eagle Tavern.

For interior scenes, the production used Highclere's principal rooms plus Basildon Park in Berkshire. Both estate houses are open to visitors, with Highclere offering exclusive exclusive event hire and glamping in the grounds.

Production Notes

Key Filming Locations

In The Show	Real Location	County	Bookable?
Downton Abbey (exterior)	Highclere Castle	Hampshire	✓ Estate glamping
Downton Village	Bampton, Oxfordshire	Oxfordshire	✓ Village B&Bs
Interior rooms	Basildon Park	Berkshire	National Trust
Downton railway	Didcot Railway Centre	Oxfordshire	Day visits
Scottish highlands	Inveraray Castle, Argyll	Scotland	✓ Estate cottages
Downton Film (2019)	Inveraray & Lacock Abbey	Various	✓ Nearby hotels

Book the Locations

Stay Near Downton

🎩 The Real Downton

📍 Highclere, Hampshire

Highclere Castle Glamping

Sleep in luxury bell tents on the grounds of the actual Downton Abbey — Highclere Castle. The 5,000-acre estate includes formal gardens, ancient woodland and the Egyptian exhibition inside. Wake up to views of the castle battlements.

🏘️ Downton Village Base

📍 Woodstock, Oxfordshire

The Feathers Hotel, Woodstock

Boutique town house hotel 5 minutes from Blenheim Palace and 15 minutes from Bampton — the real Downton village. Seventeenth-century building with individually styled rooms. The perfect base for Downton touring.

🏛️ Edwardian Luxury

📍 Colerne, Wiltshire

Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa

A Palladian mansion surrounded by a mile-long beech tree avenue. The aesthetic is pure Downton: high ceilings, ancestral portraits, afternoon teas and croquet on the lawn. One Michelin star restaurant. Equestrian centre on site.

🏔️ Scottish Filming

📍 Inveraray, Argyll, Scotland

Inveraray Castle Estate

The ancestral home of the Dukes of Argyll used for Scottish Highland scenes in Downton Abbey. Available for exclusive private hire for weddings and events. Stay in the nearby Inveraray Inn or George Hotel in the town.

🍃 English Country House

📍 Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire

Stapleford Park

A 500-year-old stately home with individually designed rooms by top British designers — each bedroom is a one-off commission. 500 acres of parkland with golf, falconry, and clay shooting. Pure Downton atmosphere with Michelin-quality dining.

⭐ One Michelin Star

📍 Oakham, Rutland

Hambleton Hall

A Victorian hunting lodge overlooking Rutland Water with one Michelin star. All the elegance of a Downton-era country house: log fires, chintz furnishings, silver service breakfast and 17 individually decorated bedrooms. Timeless English luxury.

Sleep in a Grand Estate