Britain’s Highclere Castle, made famous by the hit TV show Downton Abbey, will allow guests to stay at its newly restored buildings on the grounds mid-February this year.
After nearly three years renovation, which included repairing a roof that gave way some decades ago and drying the interiors, the buildings, known as the London Lodge are now ready for guests.
While this may seem like an amazing opportunity for fans of the show and tourists alike, it is important to note that you cannot stay in the actual mansion filmed, just the buildings outside on the grounds. Like that wasn’t a let-down enough, it appears the interior of the rooms are not what you would expect either. Rather than the rich dark-brown wooden interior with grand furniture, beautiful paintings and carpets as one sees on the show, the London Lodge features a modern English decor, with blonde-wood furniture, a TV, Wi-Fi and white walls (the kind you’d see in any hotel).
But alas, one cannot deny the beauty and uniqueness of this retreat. As the Countess of Carnavon says, “Whenever I drive in the park gates — it doesn’t matter how long I’ve been here — I always feel I am going into a world apart. Something has dropped away from me. It is a different world.”
A living room with a fireplace, kitchen with a fully-stocked refrigerator, a cozy bedroom, and the opportunity to walk across the park-like grounds whenever you please all comes down to £350 a night. Be sure to send an email for all the information about booking your stay, at londonlodge@highclerecastle.co.uk.
