I’ve been a lifelong Downton Abbey fan, so when the opportunity came up to visit the real-life set, I couldn’t resist. I even got the chance to chat to some of the show’s beloved cast members—including Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens), Cora Crawley (Elizabeth McGovern), Robert Crawley (Hugh Bonneville), and Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery)—which made the whole experience even more surreal. Walking through Highclere Castle was nothing short of magical.
The grand rooms like the library, salon, and dining room felt like stepping back in time. But as breathtaking as it all was, one of the biggest surprises was that the kitchen and servants' quarters aren’t at Downton at all. I had always assumed the entire show was filmed at the castle, but it turns out that’s not the case.
The “upstairs” and “downstairs” worlds were shot in entirely different locations. While the grand upstairs scenes were filmed at Highclere Castle, the kitchen, servants' hall, and working areas were all constructed as sets at Ealing Studios in London. This decision wasn’t just about logistics—the original servants' quarters at Highclere had either been removed or modernised over the years, making them unsuitable for historically accurate filming.
The sets at Ealing allowed the production team to faithfully recreate period-accurate spaces and ensure they were the right size for shooting. And they went all out. The designers meticulously matched the period style and details so that the transit.
