Downton Abbey | I was there!

members of our Brownell Travel group approaching Downton Abbey

I've been a fan of the show since it first came on the air, however many years ago that was. Yesterday, our group was treated to a private "before hours" tour of Highclere Castle, home of the 8th Earl and Countess of Carnarvon.

Half an hour before the popular attraction opened to the general public, we were admitted through the front doors into this now very famous house. A charming and knowledgeable guide led us through rooms that we recognized from the show, especially the library with its 6,000 leather bound volumes, the central rotunda, and the upstairs hallway where family members had their bedrooms.

Almost as interesting as what we saw were rooms that we did not see — e.g., "downstairs" rooms such as the staff dining room where Carson presided over meals and the ancient kitchen where Mrs. Patmore and Daisy produced such memorable meals. Why? Because, we learned, these scenes were shot in a studio in London.

The Downton Abbey theme song kept running through my head, and large mounted photographs showed scenes from the show that were shot in the various rooms we toured. It was truly a memorable event — and thanks to Brownell Travel's connections, we were able to walk through ahead of the queues. Want a private tour or even help getting general admission tickets? We can help with that.

copyright  (c)  2016 by David Ourisman LLC.  All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.