_Private View 2019: inside the real Downton Abbey, Highclere Castle
Below is the abridged version of an interview with the Countess of Carnarvon’s about Highclere Castle in Private View 2019, Knight Frank’s definitive guide to luxury property and lifestyle in the UK and beyond. The interview charts the intimate ties between the Carnarvon family and Highclere, touching upon its remarkable history from its use as a military hospital in World War I, to being the magnificent backdrop of the award-winning TV drama series Downtown Abbey. With the release of Downton Abbey: The Movie, Highclere Castle is back in the spotlight. Read the full version in Private View, 2019 on p28.
Owning a significant piece of British heritage is both a privilege and a challenge, but when it involves one of the country’s best-loved homes the pressures are magnified, something the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon are acutely aware of. Their home Highclere has a 1,000-year history with the current castle standing on its magnificent 5,000-acre Hampshire estate since 1878. Its profile soared in 2010, however, when it became the setting for the television show Downton Abbey.
Since then, the period drama has been beamed into the homes of an estimated 270 million viewers worldwide, making Highclere’s ornate Bath stone façade one of Britain’s most instantly recognisable historic houses. Its fame – and its visitor numbers – should only increase this autumn following the release of Downton Abbey: The Movie. Yet while Highclere embodies a bygone age of elegance and grandeur, it is also the very real family home of the Carnarvon family.
Highclere’s heritage is intimately tied up with the remarkable Carnarvon family. The 4th Earl helped to draw up the Canadian Constitution in 1866; the 5th Earl discovered Tutankhamun’s tomb in Egypt with Howard Carter in 1922, an event celebrated with a permanent exhibition at Highclere; and the 7th Earl was the Queen’s racing manager from 1969 until his death in 2001.
Meanwhile the estate itself has a rich history. In 1910, Sir Geoffrey de Havilland made his first flight at Highclere. During the First World War, Highclere became a military hospital run by the 5th Countess and, during the Second World War, it was home to evacuee children. Over the years it has welcomed statesmen, celebrities and royalty including Geordie’s godmother, the Queen.
Highclere Castle is a magnificent 300-room Jacobean mansion with Italianate flourishes designed by Sir Charles Barry, the architect of the Houses of Parliament. It was completed on the site of a previous Georgian house with a park laid out by Capability Brown in 1771.
“The gardens are a total joy to Geordie and me,” says Lady Carnarvon, whose friends know that plants are her favourite presents. “It’s where we start and end most days, walking through them together as we discuss issues.”
Her next project is creating a garden and walk, in memory of her mother-in-law Jeanie who died in April 2019. Lady Carnarvon trained as an accountant, which along with a degree in languages and her passion for history, has been crucial in the successful stewardship of Highclere. She is also a published author and posts regularly on her widely read blog, highclerecastle.co.uk.
With 180 employees on the payroll and an annual insurance bill that runs well into six figures, the Carnarvons take their responsibilities seriously. Lady Carnarvon peppers her conversation with the importance of “sharing the heritage” and the pivotal role of the staff, the “Highclere Community”, who truly make Highclere special.
It is the combination of personal and business life that is at the heart of Highclere, a thoughtful acknowledgment by the Carnarvons that while it is a stately home it should function as their home as well as a historic landmark. “Geordie and I were brought up with a sense of duty and honour, having a social responsibility. We want visitors to feel that we are welcoming them into our home, making Highclere a deeply personal experience.”
To provide a platform for sustainable income to support the entire Highclere community, the Carnarvons seek out business opportunities that relate to the estate. Their latest project is Highclere Castle Gin, made with botanicals from their own herb garden.