Brighton Property Direct likes Downton Abbey

Brighton Property Direct is currently loving, like many people, the television series of Downton Abbey and because it is filmed in such a lovely historical house is even better. The TV series is set in Edwardian times and follows the trials and tribulations of the Crawley family and of their servants during the beginningof the 20th Century. Highclere Castle in Hampshire is used for the majority of the set for both series and the castle is one of England’s most finest examples of Victorian Castles which is set in the middle of 1,000 acres of gorgeous landscape. It is actually the Carnarvon family that have lived at Highclere since 1679 and current Earl and his wife still live there making it the biggest occupied mansion in Hampshire. Charles Barry, who helped design the houses of parliament also designed Highclere and the state rooms which visitors can actually tour are amazing. They constitute of the Saloon, Music and Drawing room, the Library and smoking room. The house is a great place to film the scenes for the television programme but there is also a huge amount of Egyptian history that is associated with family and their house. It was the 5th Earl who famously discovered Tutankhamun’s tomb, the Egyptian Pharaoh, in 1922 with his archaeological partner Howard Carter. The current living family have now opened a special exhibition in the cellar of the house which celebrates all things Egyptian especially the 5th Earl’s achievements. The artefacts on display are from the Earl’s personal discoveries but also several items he purchased. After the Earl died a lot of them went to the Metropolitan Museum in New York however several artefacts were given back from the British Museum for the family to put on display. It is good for an historical house to be used for a programme like this as it helps the audience become more connected to the history.