Highclere Castle, Country mansion in Hampshire, England
Highclere Castle is a country house in southern England, built in Victorian style with towers, battlements and large reception rooms set within a wide park. The architecture blends Jacobean elements with neogothic details, while the estate stretches across more than 2,000 acres of woodland and pasture.
Charles Barry designed the current building between 1839 and 1842, replacing an older house that stood on medieval foundations laid by the bishops of Winchester. The Carnarvon family has lived on the estate since the late 1600s and commissioned several transformations over the centuries.
The estate became known worldwide when it served as the filming location for the television series Downton Abbey between 2010 and 2015. Visitors often notice that parts of the property feel familiar even on a first visit, because the show reached so many viewers around the world.
Visitors can tour the house, the Egyptian exhibition or just the gardens, depending on which ticket option they choose. It helps to allow enough time for the grounds, since they cover a large area.
The fifth Earl of Carnarvon funded the expedition that discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922, and later brought Egyptian finds back to the house. A dedicated room now displays pieces from that collection, including replicas and original objects from the excavation period.
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