Highclere Castle

During the First World War, Highclere Castle was converted into a hospital for wounded soldiers run by the 5th Countess of Carnarvon.

Then, in the Second World War, Highclere Castle was home to children evacuated from London, whose names are etched into the roof lead.

 

Highclere Castle has been transformed from its roots in Anglo Saxon Times to a medieval palace, a Tudor place house, a Georgian house and today this iconic Victorian Castle.

It sits within a park designed by Capability Brown in the eighteenth century.

 

There are between 250 and 300 rooms in the Castle Saloon and during your tour you will explore the main state rooms so familiar from "Downtown Abbey".

You will see some of the bedrooms after which you will follow the stairs down to the cellars and old staff quarters where you will find the Egyptian Exhibition, celebrating the 5th Earl of Carnarvon's discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun.

 

It is both a much-loved real home - Highclere Castle - and a much-loved fictional home, Downtown Abbey.

 

Saturday 3rd May 2025

Includes admission to the Castle, Egyptian Exhibition & Gardens.

 

Monday 25th August 2025

Includes admission to the Castle, Egyptian Exhibition & Gardens.

 

Information from Highclere Castle:

 

General: 

• There are no guided tours of the Castle, we operate a free-flow system with the guides in the rooms to answer questions. There is a one-way system in operation.

 

Tearooms & Gift Shop:

• The Tearooms are open from 10:00am to 5:00pm during our public opening. You can purchase sandwiches, cakes and freshly baked scones throughout the day.

• The Gift Shop is located on the courtyard at the rear of the Castle and is open from 9:30am to 5:00pm during public opening.

• Picnics are not permitted inside the grounds or gardens. Visitors are not permitted to eat their own food on the grounds. If you wish to bring your own food, it must be eaten on the coach before or after the visit.

 

Accessibility: 

• We are unable to allow motorised wheelchairs inside the Castle. There is access for manual wheelchairs to the State Rooms with the exception of the Morning Room and the upstairs Gallery Bedrooms. We have a photograph album featuring these rooms available to be viewed in the Saloon on the ground floor.

• The Egyptian Exhibition, Tearooms and Gift Shop are all wheelchair accessible. The Gardens are accessed via gravel paths or lawns and there are some inclines.

• We do have a limited number of manual wheelchairs available for hire. These are subject to availability and should be booked in advance via the Castle Office.

 

 

Pick up Routes:

Saturday 3rd May - Route J

Monday 25th August - Route C