Downton Abbey exploded onto our screens in 2010 and people from all over the world watched the lives and exploits of the Crowley Family and all the characters surrounding them.
For visitors who have traveled to the U.K. hoping to see some Downton Abbey locations and inspirations, here is our helpful guide to London’s Downton Abbey connections!
- Downton Abbey Tours in London
- Day Trip Tours from London
- Self-Guided Tour Through London
- Other Movie Tours
- Other London Day Trips
DOWNTON ABBEY WALKING TOURS IN LONDON
Though most Downton Abbey Tours take you out of London and into the countryside where the show is filmed, there is one company offering a walking tour of the city.
Brit Movie Tours visit all the major sites where the TV series was filmed during its stint in London.
Compared to other Downton Abbey tours, this is a steal, so definitely check it out if you're a big fan of the show, but don't have the time or funds to take a day trip.
Also, as you'll probably notice, most Downton Abbey Tours to Highclere Castle or Blenheim Palace are sold out months in advance so this tour is a great alternative if you can't get tickets for the day trip tours.
Brit Movie Tours - Downton Abbey Tour of London
If you want to reenact a bit of Downton Abbey during your trip to London, then you should consider taking a walking tour with Brit Movie Tours!
Though this tour won't take you to Highclere Castle or Blenheim Palace, you will get to walk in the footsteps of your favorite characters as they moved through London.
Some of the well-known places that are visited include the hotel where Lady Mary and Lord Gillingham have their secret liaison, the spot where Branson first confesses his love to Lady Sybil, and many others.
The tour is approximately 2.5 hours and starts from Temple Station.
- When: Fridays at 11:00 am from April - September
- Cost: Adults (16 years+) - £15, Children (5 – 15 years) - £10
DOWNTON ABBEY TOURS TO HIGHCLERE CASTLE AND BLENHEIM PALACE
Tickets to Highclere Castle and Blenheim Palace are some of the most difficult to come by of all the popular tourist attractions in the UK.
Even if traveling with an organized tour group, you usually have to reserve your tickets about a year in advance!
However, one of the main benefits of going with a tour group is easy transportation to and from London.
Each of the following tours includes round-trip transportation, as well as entrance to either Highclere or Blenheim.
International Friends
International Friends has 2 tours that bring guests out of London and to various Downton Abbey sites in the countryside.
The first is their Downton Abbey Filming Locations & Highclere Castle Day Tour, and the second is their Downton Abbey Filming Locations & Blenheim Palace Day Tour.
Both are full-day tours and include transportation to and from London.
With the tour to Highclere, you will also visit Downton village and Downton Church.
Otherwise, you can opt for the Blenheim Tour, which takes you to the picturesque Oxfordshire Cotswolds and the village of Burford as well.
The price of admission is included in both tours.
- Downton Abbey Filming Locations & Highclere Castle Day Tour
- From £155 per adult
- Limited availability
- Find more info and book.
- Downton Abbey Filming Locations & Blenheim Palace Day Tour
- From £149 per adult
- Limited availability
- Find more info and book.
Brit Movie Tours
In addition to their Downton Abbey Walking Tour in London, Brit Movie Tours also offers several different day trips from London including Downton Abbey and Village Tour, Downton Abbey Town and Country Filming Locations Tour, and a Downton Abbey 2 Day Tour.
The first is a very popular option as it visits the famous Highclere Castle, as well as the Downton Village.
The Downton Abbey Town and Country Tour also brings you to the village but visits the Cotswolds instead of Highclere.
The 2-Day Tour is for true Downton Abbey fans as it takes you all over the English countryside to visit several different places featured in the show.
- Downton Abbey and Village Tour
- From £130 per adult and £120 per child
- Limited availability
- Find more info and book.
- Downton Abbey Town and Country Filming Locations Tour
- From £720 for 1 - 2 people
- Limited availability
- Find more info and book.
- Downtown Abbey 2 Day Tour
- From £720 for 1-2 people
- Limited availability
- Find more info and book.
DOWNTON ABBEY LONDON LOCATIONS
Here is your guide to all things Downton Abbey within London.
Click here to access the movable map.
1) King’s Cross St. Pancras
[Euston Road, London N1C 4QP]
When Edith takes a trip down to London at the start of season 4, this is where she meets her co-worker Michael.
In the show, it is portrayed as King’s Cross Station but as that current building is quite modern, the Victorian St. Pancras Station was used for filming.
2) Charterhouse
[Sutton’s Hospital, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6AN]
Charterhouse has three connections to Downton Abbey and provided settings for three different locations on the show.
As Harvell & Carter, the legal organisation where Matthew worked – As a hospital training school where Lady Sybil goes for her training as a nurse during the First World War – The location for the political rally in season one where Lady Sybil suffers a blow to the head during a fight.
3) Temple
[Two Temple Place, London WC2R 3BD – and Essex Court]
Worth a visit to enjoy regardless of its Downton connections, No. 2 Temple Place served as Caxton Hall where Atticus Aldridge and Rose MacClare get married.
Just around the corner is Essex Court which was transformed into “Betty’s Tea Rooms” (actually located in York) where Lady Rose buys cakes for the Russian refugees she is helping.
4) Lincoln’s Inn Fields
[London WC2A 3TL]
The gorgeous little square here is the background for all the walks that Rose and Edith took together in season four.
5) Simpson’s Hotel
[100 Strand, London WC2R 0EW]
Mary Crawley and Charles Blake have dinner here and are briefly joined by Mabel Lane Fox. However, Mabel storms off after realising that Charles is attempting to get her and Tony Gillingham back together.
6) Rules Restaurant
[35 Maiden Lane, London WC2E 7LB]
Rules is used a few times in Downton: It is here that Michael first offers Edith a job as a writer for his magazine and in season 5 this is where Lady Rose’s bachelorette luncheon is held.
7) The National Gallery
[ Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN]
Simon and Lady Grantham visit the National Gallery in the 5th season and you can view the specific art they are focusing on in the show: Piero della Francesca’s Nativity.
8) The Criterion
[224 Piccadilly, London W1J 9HP]
This is the restaurant where Michael and Lady Edith share their first kiss!
9) Bridgewater House
[9 Little St. James’s Street, SW1A 1DP]
The exteriors of Grantham House were filmed here at Bridgewater House. This is the London home of the Crawley family – said to be located in St. James’s Square on the series.
10) Lancaster House
[Stable Yard, SW1A 1BB]
Lancaster House served as Buckingham Palace in the 2013 Christmas special. It was here where Lady Rose MacClaire was presented to Kind George V.
11) James’s Park
[SW1A 2BJ]
Used twice in Downton, St. James’s Park is first seen in season 1 where Mary and Rosamund Painswick take a walk, discussing Mary’s future prospects owing to Cora’s pregnancy.
In season five, Mr. Molesley, Miss Baxter and Daisy find Rose and Atticus in the park, but opt not to approach them.
12) 4 Hamilton Place
[London W1J 7BQ]
This building served as the Embassy Nightclub during the 2013 Christmas Special. It is here that Lady Rose and her friend Madeleine are introduced to the Prince of Wales.
13) 35 Belgrave Square
[SW1X 8QB]
The home of Lady Rosamund Painswick, who lives here as a widow. The house was originally bought on her marriage to Marmaduke Painswick.
14) The Albert Memorial
[Kensington Gardens, London W2 2UH]
In the 2013 Christmas Special, Madeleine and William Allsopp, Martha Levinson, Violet, and Harold all picnic in Kensington Gardens in front of the monument here.
15) Peter Pan Statue
[Hyde Park, London W2 2UH]
Lady Mary and Lord Gillingham meet here in season five. It is here that Mary tells Lord Gillingham that she is no longer interested in him.
16) Chepstow Villas
[London W11 3DZ]
The exteriors of the houses here are used as the home of Michael Gregson and Edith Crawley.
After Michael died, Edith took full possession of the flat and it is here that she shared her first kiss with Herbert Pelham.
17) Syon House
[Syon Park, Middlesex TW8 8JF]
The great conservatory here served as the setting of an afternoon tea between Mary and Lord Gillingham in season four.
18) Kingston Town Hall
[Penrhyn Road, Kingson-Upon-Thames, Surrey, KT1 2DW]
This courtroom was the backdrop for the dramatic trial of Mr. Bates where Lord Grantham was called to give witness, in the season two Christmas special.
OTHER MOVIE TOURS IN LONDON
Several famous films and TV series have been filmed in London. Check out the following posts to find a tour for you!
- Harry Potter Tours in London
- James Bond Tours in London
- Sherlock Holmes in London Tour
- Famous People Born in London
