The Country Fair
The Country Fair
The dogs and I were out very early this morning. It had the promise of an early summer day with little pillowing clouds and some blue sky. The dogs don't care - they are glad simply to run and explore, suddenly finding something important to sniff out and call their friends over to look at so that all I can see is just dogs’ bottoms and waggy tails – very Downton Abbey.
This is an immensely busy weekend because not merely is the Castle open for the Whitsun Bank holiday but there is a large Country Fair in the Park as well.
The main challenge for Highclere is the traffic management plan and car parking. In order to make it work, we reverse our usual routes to bring everyone in and off the road as efficiently as possible. However, our roads were built for carriages and horses rather than cars so we do need one way systems especially as the country fair may well welcome towards 18,000 people over the Sunday and Monday depending on the weather.
Despite the fact that there are large signs marking turn left into the fields for the Game Fair or straight on to the Castle, some castle visitors inevitably are too busy playing the Downton music or just following the car in front and so end up in a large grassy field looking round in confusion for that well known and quite large building. They then have to be shepherded into the correct car park.
The first task of the day after the dogs were sorted was to offer any help as needed to Hannah, Geordie and Simon who were setting up the 
Highclere stall in the showground.
The farm is selling their oats and haylage and we have lots of leaflets to distribute about our new lamb boxes, whilst the castle is selling our Highclere Castle gin and our new roses. It is an unconventional and possibly unique combination and thus very Highclere.
Downton Abbey ventured towards a rose competition in a flower show and later on had a fete but never quite got as far as a country fair. Fairs have a been part of English rural life for centuries. Just like today they were huge annual gatherings which took place over several days, drawing in visitors from far and wide, from foreign merchants to local farmers, from inn keepers to royal courtiers and various entertainers.
These were the often rowdy fairs of medieval England. They gradually faded away until they were a mere shadow of themselves during Victorian times but now, once again, they have become popular annual events which celebrate Britain’s rural culture. There are always a good range of local products both on show and available to try and to buy. In some ways it has become a family day out which shares farming life with those who live in towns.
There are various display rings which showcase entertainments ranging from field dogs to somersaulting motorcycles, bird of prey exhibitions and horse displays. Around them are the shopping opportunities, food tents and old farming equipment. Children are spun into the air attached to trampolines and wellie boots are selling well once more - the weather is after all very British and keeps changing its mind.
What was very pleasing was a call for help from my husband who needed more gin. I rather hope the roses are selling as well.
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65 Comments
I was happy to visit at Highclere on Sunday for the Castle tour and to enjoy the beautiful grounds. Highclere was the crowning glory of my visit to England coming all the way from Victoria, British Columbia on the Westcoast of Canada. It’s been a dream of mine to visit your beautiful home and I sincerely Thank You for all you do to make Highclere such a place to remember !
Laughingly, I ask...was the gin to be sold, or did he just need a drink to fortify himself?
It looks like so much fun! I only wish I could be there, but Tennessee USA is a long way off!
I so enjoy your posts and especially all the pictures.
Thank you for sharing your home and your life with us!
Nancy Lingerfelt
Newport Tn USA
The Highclere Castle Rose looks like an award winner to me. Congratulations! It should sell out too!
Thank you. So enjoy your posts!
What a lovely time!
Lady Carnarvon,
I feel as if I could say “Good morning to you, m’lady, and what a beautiful day at Highclere!” I’m having fun imagining myself on the grounds, sniffing at your gorgeous rose and just having fun seeing the Fair sights!
Well, only in my imagination, of course, but as a devoted reader, I feel the spring air and hear the chatter of the crowds.
I hope you and Georgie have a wonderful time with your guests, with a sip or two!
Cheers to the Fair!
Martha G
Lovely the picture of country fair and did you and lord Carnarvon have wonderful bank holiday Monday l am fan of Downton Abbey and highcelere castle
Thank you
What a beautiful day, wish I could have been there.
fondly Jenny
Given all the vendors that need to arrive to set up their exhibit areas and all people that will attend a traditional fair, Congrats to you and Lord Carnarvon for offering your property to feature a traditional Fair again and have all those thousands on property & parking there with you again. Good luck with selling your beautiful roses, horse hay and best tasting Gin in the world, hope all sales are successful for you and weather is lovely during Fair set up, attendance and breakdown.
Sorry to have missed the fair, but are you doing any more this year ?
Will the gin and roses be on sale if we visit
Many thanks, Sarah
Congratulations! I am sure that the Highclere gin is fantastic! The rose is so pretty too.
I vividly remember returning from a holiday in England, our car boot full of plants, acquired during a shopping spree in the local garden center. The lady at customs asked: These are All for you? Yes, they were! And we still enjoy all of them! So I am quite sure the Highclere Rose would not have been safe from us either :-)
Oh, I do long so much to come back one day...
SEEMS LIKE A GOOD DAY HAD BY ALL WISH I WAS THERE .
They will be on sale and you can buy the gin on amazon in the UK and www.highclerecastlegin.com in USA and mainland Europe
We visited Highclere last summer; have read The Earl and the Pharaoh and have just completed a tour of the Valley of the Kings (and stayed at the Winter Palace in Luxor). The history is amazing. Think I will have a bramble made with Highclere gin when I get home. Thank you for creating awareness of all these connections and wonderful places.
Ellen
Sarasota, Fl
I think the breakdown may be interesting
Hope you will come back!
Hope so!
Always enjoy your posts! Hoping to purchase a bottle of your gin soon!
I am so sorry to miss the fair. I had a really lovely time at highclere when I went there. Where can I buy those lovely roses?
I remember being at Highere not so long ago. The gardens were so pretty. Really sorry to miss the fair. I wish I could have the Highclere roses. Can I buy the roses and gin on your online store?
I’m closing my eyes and imagining smelling those roses.. I can’t wait to visit England and Highclere!! The trip of a lifetime for sure!
Best wishes for a great summer kickoff from Columbus, Ohio.
Your posts weekly are like a good British hug. Thanks from Scottsdale, Arizona. Please send us some of your weather to exchange for our 100 plus degree sunshine!
Where can I buy The Highclere Gin?I would love to be at your next summer event! Hope you and Georgie had fun!
Highclere Gin is the best. Where can I buy it?
Good morning !
What do Americans need to do to get some gin and some beautiful roses?
Would love to support from Oklahoma!
I agree I love reading them
Loved your blog this morning!’ My sister and I were at Highclere in May, 2 years ago, and this brings back such sweet , wonderful memories❣️
Lady Carnavon,
By chance I came across your blog in January (could I be the only person in the Northern Hemisphere who has never seen "Downton Abbey" ?). It seemed remarkable how warm and human your posts were, and how many of your reader's comments reflected a personal connection, sometimes even signed 'Fondly', though they might have been only one of the 90, 000 annual visitors to Highclere.
And the more I read, the more astonished I am at the scope of what you've organized and now manage, from restored gardens (oh - 10,000 daffodills!) to today's Country Fair and castle tours. It's formidable, the historical research, the books, photography and videos, speaking engagements, besides these weekly posts which always bring a smile and a bright start to so many each Monday -- all in addition to the challenges of running the castle. Your enjoyment of it all seems to shine through.
Respectfully (and fondly!)
Mary Johnson
On a beautiful day earlier this month, my wife and I visited Highclere via public footpath. We could only view the Castle from the path, due to the filming of a certain movie…
We hope to time our next visit to England so that we can get a bit closer :)
Always do enjoy reading your weekly posts! Now, having actually visited your estate, your posts will be even more special.
John and Erin Hanna
Suwanee GA USA
Thank you !
It is on Amazon in the Uk or www.highclerecastlegin.com in USA/Europe
Good swop
See you one day
I hope you will too..
WE sell them here or harkness roses online
Gin is online - amazon or www.highclerecastlegin.com - it is a cool website! Have a look!
Just buy the gin www.highclerecastlegin.com
it is a greata website the highclere castl gin one
Ah, that was us! Following the car in front of us, totally missed the exit for castle visitors.. a big thanks for all the friendly sheperherding us to the right way! We had a lovely day :)
Mandy & Fokko
The Netherlands
Hi! Will you be able to buy the Highclere rose from your online store soon? We did not buy when visiting last October because of the restrictions on bringing in seeds to the US. But buying them and officially importing them through a sale could be different.
We’d love to get some roses for our mothers to plant. They’re huge gardeners.
Love from Atlanta,
John & Robert
You were not alone!!!
We hope to work with a USA grower
Thank you - team effort!
Thank you
Bonjour Lady Carnarvon,
Toujours un plaisir de vous lire, un seul regret c'est de ne pas pouvoir vous rendre visite ou assister à vos activités en personne car je suis du Québec au Canada. Merci de nous faire vivre vos expériences, bonne journée
Hello Lady Carnarvon,
Always a pleasure to read you, only one regret is not being able to visit you or attend your activities in person because I am from Quebec in the Canada. Thank you for sharing your experiences with us, have a good day
I love getting emails about your blogs. Everytime I see them it makes me wish I could afford to come over to England just to come to the lovely Highclere Castle. One day I feel I will get there and I hope to get to meet you.
Dear Lady Carnarvon,
The Fair sounds amazing. Busy for everyone involved. It is so wonderful such traditions are continuing and loved by all generations. Take cake.
Susan
I love hearing about your events! Is it possible that I might be able to find your gin in the states? When I had the privilege of touring your gorgeous home and grounds, I also ventured into your shoppe. I bought plenty of trinkets there but I was afraid of customs so I was silly and decided against the gin. Thanks so much for all of your blogs!
Hope you can find a grower soon! Your roses will be very popular. The color is gorgeous!
Martha G
Lady Carnarvon,
Thanks as usual for your amazing blog. Lovely roses and description of this
weekend country fair. What was the weather like I wonder. As for me and my spouse, we were on holiday in Big Bend National Park in S. Texas this week, as close to the border of Mexico you can get and in temperatures of 110F. Our last night was in the border town of Del Rio and, in a off-license, what did we find but Highclere Gin. Unfortunately for me, we didn't buy it but maybe another time.
I am thilled you found the gin! Amazing- you can get it in line ..
you can www.highclerecastlegin.com
thank you
Hope so too!
Thank you one day - I went to Montreal to givce a talk a few years ago - partly in French of course! A beautiful city
Dear Lady Carnarvon,
We just happen to be visiting your lovely home on the Monday of the fair and I have to say that the people directing the traffic were doing a great job. We very much enjoyed our tour of the house (your generosity of how many rooms the public gets to go into is astounding) and you don’t realized just extensive and beautiful your gardens are. The walled and secret garden were magnificent.
As we were walking in the garden we could hear sounds of gun fire from the exhibitions going on at the fair, but other then that I would have never realized how big it was until we drove by it on the way out. (We would have stopped, but it had started to rain very hard out). I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for sharing your home with the public, it was a very special day for a us visiting from the US and fans of Downton Abbey.
Have just read about the Highclere Rose. SO beautiful!
I am going to buy one for my 101year old mother - who spent a lot of her childhood playing on the Highclere Estate.
She will be over the moon!
Wonderful
As a longtime follower of Downton Abbey, I so enjoy your weekly posts. Makes me feel connected even though I am in Nashville TN (USA). So excited to learn about the new movie. Thank you for sharing with all of us!
Can you ship the rose bush to the USA?
Did you show your Roses at this years RHS Chelsea flower show?
Not yet - yes the Flower show was great
Dear Lady Carnarvon:
Thank you for this Monday's blog.
Today I am getting caught up and finally reading all the stories you have recently written.
I always enjoy hearing about and seeing the pictures from such events at Highclere Castle.
Until next time, I wish you well.
Perpetua Crawford
Your blog posts and your instagram posts are always so positive and upbeat! I love them!