Highclere Castle

Yesterday, I spend most of the day at Highclere Castle organised by Broomfield Coach Trips  We were so lucky with the weather.  While not exactly sunny as you will see from the photos, it was dry and not chilly.  In fact, when the sun did come out for a few moments, it felt really quite warm.

It was the longest distance I've done with Broomfield Coach Trips and, while they don't usually, this time they had factored in a stop off at Reading services on the way.  It was good to stretch my legs and visit the loo; I think all of us appreciated this given the rush for the loos!!

Anyway - Highclere.

A bit of history first.

There have been communities in this area since prehistoric times as evidenced by remains of encampments and burials at Seven Barrows and Beacon Hill.

In 749CE/AD, King Cuthred of Wessex granted an estate to the Bishops of Winchester who continued to own it until the reformation.

Successive bishops built substantial administrative buildings on the site including a large medieval ha;;, a chapel, domestic buildings and living quarters.

Fast forward to 1692 when Sir Robert Sawyer bequeathed the house and estate to his daughter, Margaret.  She married the 8th Earl of Pembroke, thus bringing Highclere into the Herbert family who became the Earls of Carnarvon in due course.

At this time, Highclere Place House was a double fronted Elizabethan brick mansion with a courtyard, stables, garden and orchards.  It mush have been lovely.

The building was remodelled in the Victorian period at the instigation of the 3rd Earl of Carnarvon, finally completed in 1878 by the 4th earl.
It's been used for several different purposes - it was a centre for political life, a hospital during the Great War, a home for evacuated children in WWII and, of course, the home for a well loved TV series, while the present Earl (the 8th) now lives partly in the castle and partly 'next door' (says the guide book)

Such a Camelot looking building just has to be Victorian, doesn't it.

Sir Charles Barry, who did most of the designing and 'project managing' also built the Houses of Parliament and you really can see similarities in style, I think.

I wasn't allowed to take any photos inside the house, sadly, but it seemed very well organised.  We were greeted in the entrance hall by a butler-like character who gave us a general introduction to how the visit would work and a few titbits of Downton knowledge before we were encouraged to go round the one way, directed route.
Each of the 'important' rooms had an official person, clearly identifiable, who was more than happy to talk and explain while there were also info cards and boards with Downton photos and character quotes made in the room.  It wasn't crowded and everyone was able to go round at their own pace, no hustling along at all.  I had bought a guide book which is actually quite good with history interspersed with info about the 'treasures'.

It's a pleasant enough house, nothing to elevate it to a more special place than any other well kept stately home, except for the link with Downton.

Apparently, there has been some recent filming with more to come and there were some clues - for example, the two portraits of the current Earl and Countess have been moved and replaced with older ones. 

And this doorway, a very old, stone built affair, is actually made of wood.  We were encouraged to go up and tap on it to make sure.  It looked so real, even quite close up!

Anyway, that was the house.  I was dying for coffee by then and more than a little peckish so I went on a eatery hunt.  There were three or four places dotted about.  This was the one I used, in the stables although I sat outside under an awning.

This was the view I got of the castle from where I was sitting.  There was more of a view but I've cut out other people.

Then I explored the gardens and grounds.  Absolutely gorgeous, just the sort of garden I love.  Lots of really old walls  with some well tended beds and wider ramble-y sort of areas as well as the fields beyond.

I'll add some photos below without further comment.

There was just time for a leisurely ice cream and a visit to the loo before strolling gently back to the coach and setting off.

But one more photo . . .  

I wasn't sure how this would come out because it was very snatched through the glass as we drove past but it's clear enough to get the idea.  An old, damaged tree carved into a Green Man.

If you want to know more, this link takes you to the story from the artist himself with much better photos.  Do take a look.

https://treecarving.co.uk/highclere-castle-green-man-sculpture/

I'm not ashamed to admit that I nodded off several times on the way home and slept really well overnight.

And, as a closing paragraph, I have treated myself to the Downton boxed set and am looking forward to watching it from the start and recognising the setting.
I'm not sure I would go back from here because of the distance but if I lived close by I would be wanting to enjoy those gardens through the year.  They were stunning.

A most enjoyable day.