With the return of “Downton Abbey” to screens in the form of a full-length feature film released on Sept. 20, millions around the world are keener than ever to escape to the glamorous world of the English aristocracy.
But as much as we love entering Downton’s fantasy world of butlers, ball gowns, and high-minded manners, Downton Abbey isn’t a fictional place—at least not entirely. The home on display in both the long-running PBS drama series and the 2019 film exists in all its courtly splendor in Highclere, England, about a two-hour drive (shorter by train) from London.
