{"id":10099,"date":"2022-04-22T17:47:06","date_gmt":"2022-04-22T15:47:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homesandantiques.com\/?p=29714"},"modified":"2022-04-22T18:08:12","modified_gmt":"2022-04-22T16:08:12","slug":"inside-the-real-downton-abbey-take-a-tour-of-highclere-castle","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/rss_feed\/inside-the-real-downton-abbey-take-a-tour-of-highclere-castle\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the real Downton Abbey: take a tour of Highclere Castle"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Janet Gleeson\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Friday, 22 April 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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\u2018There are around 200 to 300 rooms and between 50 to 80 bedrooms,\u2019 says Fiona, 8th Countess of Carnarvon of Highclere Castle<\/a>, the ancestral home propelled to fame as the location for Downton Abbey<\/i><\/a> in the popular TV series. \u2018I\u2019m never quite sure why we\u2019re not sure, but I think it\u2019s because we don\u2019t know whether to count dressing rooms as bedrooms.\u2019<\/p>\n

Highclere has belonged to the family ever since Sir Robert Sawyer, the king\u2019s attorney general, bought the estate in 1679. \u2018He wanted to retain proximity to the king, Charles II, who, rather controversially, was living in Winchester with his mistresses,\u2019 explains Lady Carnarvon, adding that the 1st Earl also paid \u00a3150 for his title.<\/p>\n

The house in its present form dates largely from the late 18th and 19th centuries. \u2018The 3rd Earl decided to create something completely inspiring and exuberant,\u2019 says Lady Carnarvon.<\/p>\n

Sir Charles Barry, architect of the Houses of Parliament, upgraded the earlier Georgian mansion with a Victorian makeover. Inside, some of the rooms were given an opulent Victorian treatment, while others, which were altered less dramatically, still retain an elegant Georgian ambience.<\/p>\n

Even so, restraint isn\u2019t a word that springs to mind when you walk around Highclere. There\u2019s an inescapable sense of theatre as you step into the Entrance Hall, designed by George Gilbert Scott, and presided over by two scaly tailed wyverns (winged dragons) crouching beneath soaring columns and a vaulted ceiling.<\/p>\n

Eye-catching gilded mahogany bookcases, filled with more than 5,000 leather-bound volumes, grace the Library next door. The room was often used as a gentlemen\u2019s withdrawing room, a place where politics and matters of state were topics of conversation.<\/p>\n

The 4th Earl was a member of Disraeli\u2019s Cabinet. \u2018How scenical, how scenical!\u2019 Disraeli is said to have exclaimed in delight as he caught his first glimpse of Highclere in 1866.<\/p>\n

A secret door lined with faux books leads you on to the Music Room, where Francis Hayman is thought to have painted the gods and cherubs cavorting across the ceiling. The walls are lined with exquisite panels of 16th-century Italian silk embroidery from the Malatesta Palace in Rimini.<\/p>\n

Now sometimes used for family lunch parties, the room has served as a space for ping pong and an exhibition of Egyptian artefacts. A writing table by Jacob Fr\u00e8res, believed to have belonged to Napoleon<\/a>, has a special place in Lady Carnarvon\u2019s affections.<\/p>\n

\u2018It was attributed to George Bullock, but I looked underneath and spotted the G Jacob stamp. Afterwards I spent a lot of time lying beneath other pieces,\u2019 she recalls.<\/p>\n

Unlike the previous generation, Lord and Lady Carnarvon decided to use Highclere as their family home, as well as open it to the public. \u2018We wanted the house to feel alive. It\u2019s a stately home<\/a>, and both words are equally important. But to be a home a house needs to be loved, by the people who live in it and the people who come.\u2019<\/p>\n

Eminent guests have never been in short supply. The house has hosted members of royalty, politicians and leading lights from the arts, such as Henry James and Sir Malcolm Sargent. Some of their visits are detailed in Lady Carnarvon\u2019s book At Home at Highclere<\/i><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Since moving in, the Carnarvons have embarked on an ambitious programme of renovation. Dilapidated rooms, piled high with furniture, were redecorated with finds from cellars and attics, and the Gallery hung with framed documents from the archives.<\/p>\n

In 2004, the first Christmas after they moved in, Lady Carnarvon<\/a> asked her five sisters to stay. \u2018I knew they\u2019d tell me if the beds<\/a> were uncomfortable,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n

Although she is fascinated by the traditions of Highclere, Lady Carnarvon has no qualms in rearranging the furniture and buying new paintings at London auctions. She also works with interior designer Sarah Morris of McWhirter Morris on new schemes. Yet she is mindful of the conventions of the house.<\/p>\n

\u2018There\u2019s a legend that if the portrait of Margaret Sawyer, 8th Countess of Pembroke, is moved from its place in the Dining Room, disaster will strike. So when we redecorated, the painting was held out from the wall and we papered behind it.\u2019<\/p>\n

Despite improvements, some things haven\u2019t changed. There is no central heating at the castle<\/a> \u2013 open fires are supplemented by storage heaters downstairs and the odd panel radiator in the bedrooms. \u2018People managed for centuries without heating and we always close the shutters at night,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n

\u2018When Downton Abbey<\/i> was being filmed they always took out the storage heaters. Sometimes the actors were freezing and sat around the table in fur boots. But the Christmas special<\/a> was always filmed in July, and usually on the hottest day of the year!\u2019<\/p>\n

The presence of earlier countesses is marked in many rooms of the house. The Drawing Room walls are covered in green silk that replicates a wedding<\/a> gift given to Almina, 5th Countess, the illegitimate daughter of Alfred de Rothschild. The lamps in the Mercia Bedroom were made from a pair of brass candlesticks<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2018I found a mass in the attic. An earlier countess must have bought a job lot. I just added pretty shades,\u2019 says Lady Carnarvon. In deference to her predecessors she has hung the Morning Room walls with portraits of earlier countesses. \u2018I think we all work hard and have earned our place,\u2019 she says. Whether she has 200 or 300 rooms to look after, it\u2019s impossible to disagree.<\/p>\n

\""Highclere\"<\/picture><\/div>
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\""Highclere\"<\/picture><\/div>
The 1890s rococo revival drawing room was decorated by Almina, the 5th Countess of Carnarvon. The original silk wallcovering was a wedding present from her father, but has since been replaced with a copy. <\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Highclere\"<\/picture><\/div>
A pair of early 18th-century Italian commodes stand on either side of the huge French marble fireplace that forms a focal point. Hanging above it, the family group portrait of the 1st Earl of Carnarvon\u2019s children is one of several paintings by Sir William Beechey on display in the room <\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Highclere\"<\/picture><\/div>
The gilded ceiling, mahogany bookcases and the columned screen at one end give the room a sumptuous atmosphere. The fittings, like the exterior of the house, were designed by the architect Sir Charles Barry. The left-hand section of the bookcase contains faux books and hides a secret door leading to the Music Room beyond<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Highclere\"<\/picture><\/div>
The Library at Highclere was traditionally used as a withdrawing room for political gatherings. It houses over 5,000 books, mainly dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. <\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Highclere\"<\/picture><\/div>
On the oak staircase, gothic-style windows illuminate a 17th-century Brussels tapestry and a newly restored Reynolds portrait of Mrs Musters<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Highclere\"<\/picture><\/div>
A large still life by Jan Weenix depicting game in a park, painted in 1707, forms a centrepiece of the Smoking Room <\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Highclere\"<\/picture><\/div>
The late 19th-century triple chime mantel clock stands on an Italian marble table inset with 17th-century pietre dure panels depicting birds and fruit.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Highclere\"<\/picture><\/div>
Rich gothic details, such as linen folding panelling and heraldic shields, characterise the decoration of the Saloon, which lies at the core of the house. The walls are hung with elaborate 17th-century embossed and gilded leather panels from Cordoba. The portrait shows Henry, the 3rd Earl of Carnarvon, painted by James Edgell Collins <\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Highclere\"<\/picture><\/div>
Painted Italianate panels, embroideries and a large over-mantel mirror decorate the sumptuous light-filled Music Room. Today, sometimes used for informal family lunches, the room houses the Jacob Fr\u00e8res desk, which is believed to have once belonged to Napoleon<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Highclere\"<\/picture><\/div>
In the Music Room, the embroidered panels depicting rabbits and lambs, as well as other animals, are 16th-century and came from the Malatesta Palace in Italy. The giltwood fauteuil in the style of Louis XVI, upholstered with Aubusson panels, and an ormolu candelabra c1815, with bronze classical figure, complete the opulent decorative effect <\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/body><\/html>\n
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By Janet Gleeson Published: Friday, 22 April 2022 at 12:00 am \u2018There are around 200 to 300 rooms and between 50 to 80 bedrooms,\u2019 says Fiona, 8th Countess of Carnarvon of Highclere Castle, the ancestral home propelled to fame as the location for Downton Abbey in the popular TV series. \u2018I\u2019m never quite sure why […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":10100,"template":"","categories":[1,41],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"7"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2022\/04\/inside-the-real-downton-abbey-take-a-tour-of-highclere-castle.jpg",1600,1199,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2022\/04\/inside-the-real-downton-abbey-take-a-tour-of-highclere-castle-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2022\/04\/inside-the-real-downton-abbey-take-a-tour-of-highclere-castle-300x225.jpg",300,225,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2022\/04\/inside-the-real-downton-abbey-take-a-tour-of-highclere-castle-768x576.jpg",768,576,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2022\/04\/inside-the-real-downton-abbey-take-a-tour-of-highclere-castle-1024x767.jpg",800,599,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2022\/04\/inside-the-real-downton-abbey-take-a-tour-of-highclere-castle-1536x1151.jpg",1536,1151,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2022\/04\/inside-the-real-downton-abbey-take-a-tour-of-highclere-castle.jpg",1600,1199,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Janet Gleeson Published: Friday, 22 April 2022 at 12:00 am \u2018There are around 200 to 300 rooms and between 50 to 80 bedrooms,\u2019 says Fiona, 8th Countess of Carnarvon of Highclere Castle, the ancestral home propelled to fame as the location for Downton Abbey in the popular TV series. \u2018I\u2019m never quite sure why…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/10099"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10100"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10099"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10099"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}