While on La5 the last season of Downton Abbey, raise your hand who, among fans of the award-winning British TV series, did not dream of visiting the places where the events of the aristocratic Crawley family and its servants are set? Then why not start planning a spring weekend in the charming English countryside, among characteristic villages, flower gardens and austere castles?
Like that of Highclere, in Hampshire, transformed in Downton Abbey set. The country residence of the Counts of Carnarvon since 1679, which has hosted most of the scenes of the screenplay, is 8 km from Newbury and still today the Count and Countess Carnarvon live there. Designed by Victorian architect Sir Charles Barry and surrounded by a lush garden, the building is full of amazing paintings, tapestries and antique furniture, which you can admire during Easter holidays, in summer and on public holidays.
Following the tour through the Castle, you will climb the red stairs to see some of the rooms to which are associated various anecdotes, real or invented, narrated in the series. You will discover that during the First World War, just as you can see on TV, the castle was transformed by the hostess into a hospital, then return to being a private residence with the end of the conflict.
At the end of the visit, you can go to the garden, walk in the woods, make a stop in the tea rooms and visit the cellars of the castle, where the Egyptian exhibition established in 1922 by the fifth Earl of Carnarvon, after discovering together with archaeologist Howard Carter the tomb of Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamon.
Since last year it is also possible to stay in a lodge inside the estate, to be booked in advance. However in the area there are some delicious charming hotels, perfect for a stay in style Downton Abbey, including three charming residences affiliated to Condé Nast Johansens.
Tylney Hall – Rotherwick, Hook, Hampshire 30 kilometers from Highclere Castle, welcomes you with luxurious rooms, some with canopy beds and bathroom with spa. 66 acres of park and ornamental gardens surround it. The award-winning Oak Room Restaurant serves delicious meals in the room or in the summer on the terrace. The surroundings are ideal for jogging, or for walking: a lake with a bridge, a orchard and the Victorian greenhouses complete the picture. It also has 2 swimming pools, indoor tennis courts, criquet courts, mountain bike rental, 18-hole adjacent golf course. The spa is equipped with 5 treatment cabins, sauna, gym and whirlpool. Special moment of tea in the living room, admiring the surrounding landscape.
Coworth Park – Ascot, Berkshire A luxurious country hotel with spa located near Ascot, immersed in a estate that combines everything that makes life fascinating in the English countryside. In addition to the main building, it also includes stables, polo field and cottages, a luxury spa and three restaurants. At Restaurant Coworth Park, the talented Chef Simon Whitley offers classic English dishes; more informal dinners are served at The Barn (the barn), while at The Spatisserie della Spa you can relax in a bathrobe. The suites are spacious and decorated with soft colors, Georgian style with eccentric touches; those who want more privacy can choose the apartments obtained in the stables or in the cottages.
Oakley Court Hotel – Water Oakley, Windsor, Berkshire Oakley Court is a country residence with modern sensitivity. The Victorian facade in Gothic style, with sharp arches and decorative turrets and the position along the banks of the Thames, make it a very suggestive place. The living room features sumptuous afternoon tea. It also has a fitness centre with gym, swimming pool, whirlpool, sauna, Turkish bath and 9-hole golf course.
