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Downton Abbey filming locations day tour from London

Small group tour Visiting Downton Abbey film locations, plus a visit to Blenheim Palace for insights into the era

Highclere Castle (Downton Abbey)tours from London
Blenheim Palace - home of Winston Churchill and Lancelot 'Capability' Brown's gardens

NOTE: THIS DOWNTON ABBEY THEMED TOUR HAS NO VISIT TO HIGHCLERE CASTLE

Highclere Castle tours from London - full details & reservations

 

Discover for yourself the filming locations for the popular series Downton Abbey

It should be emphasised that this tour doesn't visit Highclere Castle, Downton Abbey itself - there are separate tours to Highclere but because of the limited availability of tickets these tours are not very frequent and normally sell out very quickly, almost as soon as they become available.

This Small Group Downton Abbey Filming Locations tour visits many filming locations used in the Downton Abbey TV series that will be familiar with you if you are a fan.

A visit is also made to Blenheim Palace where you can become acquainted with the upstairs and downstairs of class conscious life of the Downton Abbey era.

Discover how the aristocracy lived and see how servants interacted with their masters and employers learning of the strict social standards that needed to be maintained.

Blenheim Palace on tour from London with Downton locations

SMALL GROUP DOWNTON ABBEY FILM LOCATIONS & BLENHEIM PALACE WITH COTSWOLDS

Blenheim Palace on tour from London with Downton Abbey film locations

Tour of Downton Abbey film locations, Cotswolds and Blenheim Palace - International Friends

Adult £174

• 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

Highclere Castle/Downton Abbey in sunshine
Knowledgeable tour guide explains Downton locations

Tour highlights

  • Private visit to Yew Tree Farm (Cogges Manor Farm), Downton Village (Bampton), Shilton and Swinbrook
  • Entry to Bampton Library (Downton Cottage Hospital and Doctor's Surgery in the series)
  • Entry and tour of Blenheim Palace, Park and Gardens
  • A visit to the village of Bladon to see the graves of Sir Winston and Lady Churchill
  • Luxury air conditioned 16 seat purpose built touring bus
  • Professional, expert standard, friendly tour guide
  • Guaranteed departures, no minimum numbers, maximum group size 16 people

Tour dates and times

Operate on Mondays when Highclere is closed from April to late October only.

Pickups in London between 7.15am and 7.45am

The tour returns to London by around 6.30pm

 

Tour itinerary

The Swan Inn- a Downton Abbey locations set
The Swan Inn hosted the elopement of Lady Sybil with Branson the family chauffeur

Leaving London behind we drive direct to the Oxfordshire Cotswolds to see key filming sites of Downton Abbey.

Yew Tree Farm (Cogges Manor Farm)

Our first stop is a visit to Yew Tree Farm (Cogges Manor Farm) which first appeared in series 4 with Mr Drewe as the tenant farmer.

After a tea/coffee break in the delightfully refurbished rustic cow shed Cogges Cafe, we take a tour filled with the sound of animals and surrounded by orchards and ancient ridge and furrow fields, and learn of the relationship between the tenant farmers and landowners.

Customers enjoy a private tour of Yew Tree Farm Manor House (Cogges Manor) before it opens to the public.

Bampton

After the tour we take the short drive to Bampton, a beautiful Oxfordshire Cotswolds village.

Bampton Library was used for Downton Cottage Hospital and Doctors surgery; St. Mary’s Church became Downton Church and Church Square; Churchgate House was used for exterior shots for the Crawley family home; and we walk along the street which has been used for shops, the post office and the Grantham Arms.

Drive through Cotswolds

We then enjoy a scenic drive through the Oxfordshire Cotswolds, driving by centuries old cottages untouched by the modern world, on roads large coaches would simply never be able to travel on.

Shilton

We take a photo stop in the picturesque historical village of Shilton. The village, with a few cosmetic adjustments, provided Downton Abbey with a scene for a village pub (in reality this was the forge) as well as some settings for rural scenes. Our guide will explain to you how the forge was transformed into the village pub!

Swinbrook

From Shilton we continue to Swinbrook for a short photo stop. The Swan Inn in Swinbrook hosted the elopement of Lady Sybil with Branson the family chauffeur!

Woodstock

We then travel to Woodstock, a fine Georgian town with a distinct Royal Heritage. En route we make a stop in the village of Bladon to see the graves of Sir Winston and Lady Churchill. Woodstock, home to Blenheim Palace, is famous for its selection of small independent shops, and a fantastic selection of English pubs and restaurants. This is where we stop for our lunch break.

Blenheim Palace and gardens

At Blenheim Palace your tour begins with an introduction to the upstairs and downstairs of class conscious life. Discover how the aristocracy lived and how the state apartments increased in importance as we move from room to room. We see how servants interacted with their masters and employers and learn of the strict social standards that needed to be maintained.

Departure details

The tour makes several pick-ups at key strategic locations through major hotel districts in London

  • 7.15am - Great Russell Street, outside British Museum main entrance (nearest Underground Russell Square)

  • 7.30am - Outside Hard Rock Hotel (Cumberland Hotel), Marble Arch (nearest Underground Marble Arch)

  • 7.45am - Outside Holiday Inn Kensington Forum, 97 Cromwell Road, Kensington

  • 9.15am - Outside Oxford Visitor Information Centre, 15-16 Broad Street, Oxford. OX1 3AS

The tour returns to London Victoria Train Station by around 6.30pm normally with stops offered in Kensington too around Gloucester Road Underground Station.

Victoria Train Station is one of the largest transport stations in London, with excellent connections to all parts of London and beyond.

 

Alternative tour: Blenheim Palace, Downton Abbey Village & The Cotswolds

This is a similar tour to the above but uses a full sized touring coach and as such is a bit cheaper.

This tour replaces Bladon and Cogges Manor Farm with a visit to the stunning Cotswolds riverside village of Bourton-on-the-Water.

Cotswolds

BLENHEIM PALACE, DOWNTON ABBEY VILLAGE & COTSWOLDS

Blenheim Palace on tour from London with Downton Abbey film locations

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


DOWNTON ABBEY TOUR DATES 2024 + DOWNTON LOCATIONS TOUR WITH BLENHEIM PALACE

IMPORTANT: THESE ARE THE TOUR DATES ONLY AND DO NOT REPRESENT TICKET AVAILABILITY

ALL TOURS

Available dates

Oxford, Bampton & Highclere

Blenheim Palace, Downton Abbey Village & Cotswolds (no visit to Highclere Castle)

Downton Abbey filming locations and Highclere Castle (Small Group)

Jan 24 N/A 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 15, 19, 21, 22, 26, 28, 29 N/A
Feb 24 N/A 2, 4, 5, 9, 11, 12, 16, 18, 19, 23, 25, 26 N/A
Mar 24 30, 31 1, 3, 4, 8, 10, 11, 15, 17, 18, 22, 24, 25, 29, 31 30, 31
Apr 24 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
May 24 4, 5, 6, 7, 28, 29 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 31 4, 5, 6, 7, 26, 27, 28, 29
Jun 24 N/A 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 28, 29, 30 N/A
Jul 24 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28, 29, 30, 31 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30, 31
Aug 24 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 30, 31 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
Sep 24 1 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30 3, 4
Oct 24 N/A 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30 N/A
Nov 24 N/A 1, 3, 4, 8, 10, 11, 15, 17, 18, 22, 24, 25, 29 N/A
Dec 24 N/A 1, 2, 6, 8, 9, 13, 15, 16, 20, 22, 23, 27, 29, 30 N/A

Oxford, Bampton & Highclere

Blenheim Palace, Bampton ("Downton Abbey Village") & Cotswolds

Downton film locations & Highclere (Small Group)

Highclere Castle day tours from London are few and far between, normally opening dates are restricted to the month of April, with a couple of dates in May then July and August and just into September.

If you want to visit Highclere on a day tour from London it is not a matter of picking and choosing your tour, it's just grab the tour when available for your dates before it sells out!

 

 

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