Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale hits the cinemas this month; a final hurrah for a stately saga which has left many of us wondering about the highs and lows of being a lord or lady of the manor. But wonder no more, because we’ve found eight Downton-esque country estates where
8 English estates for a Downton Abbey experience
Tamara Hinson
NZ Herald·
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Cliveden. Photo / Cliveden House
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Hawarden Estate, North Wales
The castle at the heart of this sprawling country estate dates back to the 1700s (former residents include British Prime Minister William Gladstone), but explore its grounds and you’ll also find the remains of a thirteenth-century Iron Age fort. Visitors can stay in one of the cottages on the estate’s grounds, although for larger groups we recommend the castle’s West End apartment, a five-bedroom antique-stuffed retreat heated by roaring log fires. Perks for West End guests include access to the late William Gladstone’s private library, complete with original Downing Street stationery dating back to the 1880s (we’d advise against writing your “wish you were heres” on these priceless artefacts). Don’t miss the chance to check out the estate’s very own pub, the Glynne Arms – don’t miss the Welsh mussels served with a cider dressing.
Cliveden, Surrey
Countless stately homes come with a whiff of scandal, and this certainly applies to Cliveden, a glorious country estate connected with the Profumo Affair. In 1961, British Secretary of State for War John Profumo attended a party at Cliveden and began an affair with 19-year-old Christine Keeler, who was also involved with Soviet naval attaché Yevgeny Ivanov, and fears that national security had been compromised led to the Government’s downfall. Scandal aside, Cliveden, now a five-star hotel, is one of England’s most beautiful stately homes – a former hunting lodge dating back to 1666. We prescribe a wander along the garden’s Grand Avenue, lined with fragrant lime trees, and booking one of the Mansion House suites, which come with roll-top bathtubs and enormous dressing rooms, as well as access to a wine-stuffed pantry, which you’ll find behind a fake bookcase. Genius.
Avington, Hampshire
Downton Abbey has seen its fair share of drama, but this 175-acre estate, in the heart of Hampshire’s beautiful Itchen Valley, has an equally colourful past. Dating back to 961AD, it was once the bolthole of King Charles II and his mistress, Nell Gynn, and more recent residents include Rolls-Royce heiress Lady Eleanor Shelley-Rolls. Today it’s owned by hotelier Nicolas Roach, who lives in the estate’s spectacular Palladian mansion; however, commoners can still spend the night, bedded down in luxurious cabins, shepherds’ huts and lodges dotted across the estate. There are endless opportunities to channel your inner heir or heiress – activities on offer include wild swimming, clay pigeon shooting and fishing. If the latter sounds like too much hard work, simply head to the estate’s pub, The Chestnut Horse, where the most popular dish is trout en croute, prepared using fish plucked from Avington’s very own river.
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Kyre Park, Worcestershire
In the eighteenth century, Kyre Park was home to the Pytts family, who commissioned Capability Brown to plant the estate’s beautiful gardens, where waterfalls, follies and lakes surround various historic structures, including a Grade II-listed barn. It’s a truly exclusive getaway – the only accommodation option is an eight-bedroom apartment in the main house, minimising the risk of having to mingle with the riff-raff (god forbid). Significantly more likely to put in an appearance is the Grey Lady, the estate’s resident ghost, who’s often seen stalking the main house’s halls. Don’t forget to check out the fourteenth-century Norman dovecote, constructed in the 1700s. Look closely and you’ll see 550 nesting holes and a tiled band around the outside wall to stop rodents climbing up the walls.
Temple Guilting Manor, Gloucestershire
This Cotswolds manor house has been privately owned since the 1400s, and it’s regarded as one of England’s finest Tudor houses. Accommodation options include the main house and the former granary, although our favourite option is the Cow Byre, a spruced-up former cowshed with original stone walls and gabled ceilings. The gardens were given a spectacular spruce-up relatively recently – in this case by Jinny Blom, one of the Prince of Wales’ favourite gardeners. There’s a huge range of activities on offer, including archery masterclasses, wine-tasting sessions and yoga classes.
Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland
This is how a castle should be – an impenetrable, seafront fortress built 1400 years ago. Numerous kings ranging from Henry VI to James 1 have called it home, and today it’s packed with artwork, ceramics and objets d’art beloved by the late industrialist and philanthropist William George Armstrong, who purchased the castle in 1894. It’s open to the public, but visitors can also spend the night, staying in the castle’s Neville Tower or the medieval clock tower. We recommend the latter – perks include a private courtyard, and the chance to explore the rest of the castle long after day visitors have left. Don’t worry about disturbed sleep, either – Lady Armstrong, the wife of current owner Francis Watson Armstrong, moved the 125-year-old clock to the castle’s chapel in 1987 after the chiming disturbed her sleep.
Beaverbrook, Surrey
Stay at Beaverbrook, which dates back to 1866, and you’ll be in good company – former guests include Rudyard Kipling and Winston Churchill, who was a good friend of the estate’s owner, the late Lord Beaverbrook, wartime Minister of Aircraft Production during WWII. Churchill stayed in the room now known as the Churchill Suite, where you can soak in the very same bathtub the former Prime Minister bathed in while smoking his beloved cigars and planning military strategies. The estate is enormous, comprising not just the main house but a coach house and an entire village filled with self-catering cottages. There’s an abundance of country pursuits on offer, including croquet, a favourite pastime of the Downton clan, although film fans can also retreat to the main house’s cinema – the UK’s first private cinema. Constructed in the late 1800s, it’s illuminated by Art Deco lamps, which once lit the interior of the Empire State Building.
