The TV series Downton Abbey has been a worldwide success triggering an explosion of interest in people wanting to visit Downton Abbey itself, in real life Highclere Castle.
Highclere Castle stands about 45 miles (72km) west of central London. The nearest large town of any consequence, called Newbury, connects to London by train.
Highclere Castle is only open for between 60 and 70 days each year. Two weeks over Easter, for each of the May Bank holidays, and for two months (Sunday to Thursday) over the summer months, July to September. There are a few special events days but these are rare.
When you purchase your ticket you will need to select an am. or pm. admission time. The castle will open its doors at 10.30am, afternoon admission to the castle will begins at 1pm.
In recent years, the demand for admission tickets has far outstripped the supply, making it essential to be highly organized and plan ahead to secure those coveted tickets.
Highclere Castle tours and tickets
Highclere Castle has limited opening throughout the year, focused mainly on April, May, July, August and September.
There are also some special events at the Castle throughout the year.
As tickets are scarce, even more so after the Downton Abbey film, we recommend booking your tour early to avoid disappointment.
Visiting Highclere Castle from London independently
Tickets for Highclere Castle
First thing of course is to get some tickets for Highclere.
The only place you can do this is at the official Highclere Castle website.
Travel by public transport from London
Highclere Castle is around 5 miles (8km) south of Newbury. A very limited local bus service (around 3 or 4 buses a day) operates between Newbury and the village of Highclere. Additionally there is quite a substantial walk to the Castle from here. In practice most people will take a taxi from Newbury Station taxi rank.
Trains from London’s Paddington Station run broadly at hourly frequencies throughout the day to and from Newbury. A taxi from the station forecourt should cost about £15-£20 in each direction to/from Highclere Castle.
Can I see Highclere Castle from the public road to take a picture?
The short answer is no, unless you have an entrance ticket the nearest public road is far from Highclere Castle itself.
However there are public footpaths through the Highclere Estate as well as some seasonal footpath openings which allow you to catch glimpses of Highclere. Details of these walks are on the main Highclere website (link above) or Google “Highclere Castle footpaths”.
Downton Abbey filming locations day tours from London
Although Highclere Castle is the star of the show, being Downton Abbey itself, much of the TV series was shot elsewhere, mostly to the north of Highclere Castle close to Oxford and the Cotswolds.
A variety of tours with much better availability compared to the Highclere Castle tours can take you to these filming locations and furthermore, delve into the entire Upstairs, Downstairs period.
We should emphasize that these tours do not visit Highclere Castle, Downton Abbey itself.
There are two tours to choose from below, both similar formats, both visiting the iconic Blenheim Palace as well as Bampton, the village which featured as ‘Downton Village’ in the popular series. We highlight the differences below:
Downton Abbey Filming locations, Cotswolds & Blenheim Palace
The first is a small group tour which visits Sir Winston Churchill’s grave in Bladon village as well as Cogges Manor Farm which was used for “Yew Tree Farm” in the Downton series.
Blenheim Palace, Downton Abbey Village & The Cotswolds
The second tour is a normal sized coach tour and replaces Bladon and Cogges Manor Farm with a visit to the stunning Cotswolds riverside village of Bourton-on-the-Water.
Small Group Downton Abbey Film Locations & Blenheim Palace with Cotswolds
Tour of Downton Abbey film locations, Cotswolds and Blenheim Palace
Flexi adult from £174 • Best rate adult from £156.60 • Flexi child (3-15 years) from £154 • Best rate child from £138.60
• Private visit to Yew Tree Farm • Entry to Bampton library • Entry & tour of Blenheim Palace • Churchill’s grave at Bladon • Small group – max 16 people
Blenheim Palace, Downton Abbey Village & Cotswolds
Blenheim Palace, Downton Village and Cotswolds Day Tour from London
Adult from £72
• Option to add on Blenheim Palace & Gardens • Walking Tour of Bampton – ‘Downton Village’ • Visit to riverside Bourton-on-the-Water • Return transport from London • Expert guide