Take a overnight trip to Downton Abbey – with hotel, coach & meals from £179pp

DOWNTON Abbey fans still hankering after the high life lived by Lady Mary Lord Grantham can snoop behind the scenes at Highclere Castle with a staycation break this winter.

The coach trip includes an overnight stay nearby with meals, priority tickets to the Highclere Castle and return transport.

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Highclere Caste has become a known landmark thanks to the show, and the iconic backdrop is a country house located five miles south of Newbury in Berkshire.

You can book an overnight break to visit the castle grounds and look around some of the famous rooms used for the show from £179pp.

The price includes return coach travel and an overnight stay in a 3 or 4-star hotel with dinner and breakfast.

You’ll also receive a copy of the ‘Lady Almina and The Real Downton Abbey’ book.

The giant estate includes 5,000 acres of land, 11 bedrooms with servant quarters and room for entertaining the upper classes.

On your first day, you’ll get picked up in your local area and arrive in Hampshire in time for dinner, so you’ll have time to relax before the big tour.

The following day, you’ll head to the castle after breakfast and get to go behind the scenes on the filming location.

Most of the exterior shots of Downton Abbey and most of the interiors are filmed at Highclere Castle.

But the kitchen, servants’ quarters, working areas, and some bedrooms were constructed and filmed at Ealing Studios in London.

You’ll also have time to discover the Egyptian Exhibition, which displays replicas of the pharaoh’s middle coffin and his death mask.

The exhibition is dedicated to the achievements of the fifth Earl of Carnarvon, who helped discover the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922.

After your day at Highclere is over, you’ll make your journey home via coach in the afternoon.

The Castle will also return to our tv screens soon, as Channel 4 has announced a five-part series about the real-life Crawleys, Lord and Lady Carnarvon, who live in the country estate.

Currently, the eighth Earl of Carnarvon, George Herbert, and his family live in a part of the home, with the rest hired out to the public for events and functions.

For more staycation ideas, we found the best luxury UK breaks from £41pp a night in 2023, including hot tubs and lake views.

While Isle of Wight festival stays are still available from £13pp a night, where you could see Robbie Williams, Niall Horan and Pulp.

Or, for a holiday in the sun, we found the best long-haul holiday deals in 2023, from £78pp a night.

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