
Happy Christmas!!
I thought I would simply share a few photographs of some of the projects we have taken forward over the past year.
We have repaired the floorboards, electrics and re-carpeted a wonderful corridor on the second floor of the south side of the Castle. It was a rainy day job for Pat Withers and her team in between other projects. One staircase from here leads to a Robing Room (photographed) whilst another leads up the Great Tower (yet to be carpeted but two landings and four rooms are finished on the first floor).
The Estate office is both a joy and a challenge. You can see some of the old beams reused in one photograph and some new ceiling on the top floor in the other. We have used linseed oil on the old beams and they look amazing. I rather like the smell of linseed. It is so evocative – I used to use it on my lacrosse stick and my husband still uses it on his cricket bats.
All the scaffolding is down from Winchester Lodge, an excellent restoration job led by Eric Knight and Heritage Building Conservation. A little more tidying to do yet….
We have mended the roofs, rebuilt walls and begun to restore the old sawmill. Apart from Anna and Bates’ cottage, I have just begun to renovate the adjacent cottage (Rose Cottage) as well, which will be utterly charming too.
There are always so many stories and people to write about that I thought I would introduce a recipe each month into my blog starting in January as well as the occasional video. In the meantime, we have created an App which will be launched in January through which you will be able to explore the real Castle and see where ‘Downton Abbey’ is filmed.
I love hearing all about your restoration projects! blessings to you and yours this christmas!
I agree with Ann; and can’t wait for the app. I hope it’ll be accessible to blind people using voice output technology on iPhones or Android platforms. Happy Christmas to all.
And now a Happy New Year to you and your family!
Merry Christmas and many blessings to you and your family!
Ooh! Looking forward to what is in store for us in January.
All these projects taken on were worth the great effort. i am anxious to come back for another visit to Highclere. Will you make this restored cottage a place for visitors to stay? It would be so fun to stay on the grounds.
Thanks so much for these great blog entries. I look forward to reading them each month.
Merry Christmas to you all.
Rebecca Poquette
Thank you – yes I will try to have another cottage for people to rent for a week at a time – but I think it will be one called the Grotto.
Happy New Year
Since you mentioned smells and how evocative they are in this post I’m curious if you’ve ever found any references to fragrances either man made or natural as you read through the old journals you find. I’m a collector of perfume bottles and fragrance is one of the means through which I experience beauty in the world. I also collect bells primarily brass bells from the British Isles of which there are many featuring neat shapes to feel. Are there bells at Highclere and if so can you tell us more about them? Who made them and when? How were they or are they used today? Happy Christmas and blessed new year to you and all you love in this world.
Happy Christmas to you and all at Highclere! Love reading about your projects and what is happening and seeing the photos just helps it to become understood! Thank you for so generously helping others to visit a fabulous home! Be well in 2016!
Thank you – I think the videos might be fun too.
The doors on Highclere Castle look fantastic! What did you use on them? I was there in September and they look so different now….Merry Christmas!
I really enjoy your blog and these updates. History houses are so fascinating and your estate provides almost an endless array of discoveries. The new App sounds great, keep up the good work and have a Merry Christmas!
The App is I think really clever with 360 degree views and a few unexpected stories. We can add to it too..
Merry Christmas to you, Lady Carnarvon, and all at Highclere! May you have a wonderful and joyous Holiday. All my best and Happy New Year!
Lady Carnarvon,
Merry Christmas to you and your Highclere Family. I enjoy your posts very much, as I have roots in England. Calverts have a long history there, I am proud to say. Please continue, as long as you are able, with photos and entries of your Highclere adventures. They bring to my mind of my several visits to the beautiful and historical English lands. Thank you very much.
Deborah Calvert Price
Very Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year 2016 to you all in Highclere from us in Sweden ! Looking forward to your App.
Tomorrow we are all sittning in front of our TV’s and enjoy the last episode of Downton Abbey !
Our best wishes from Maja in Ystad, south of Sweden
✨Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!✨
I was very fortunate to attend the Christmas Ball ay Highclere on December 12, 2015.
It was utterly amazing to see the beautiful rooms and the Egyption exhibit.
Dinner was superb.
The gift shop was a treasure trove for my Christmas shopping.
The choir was delightful.
The tree was beautiful. ( followed the decoration on your blog)
I especially enjoyed talking to the knowledgable guides and the hired staff.
The event coordinators I spoke to thought things could have been better…but I told them, from my view, everything was perfect. The were also very kind finding me a spare menu and lyric pamphlet for souvenirs.
As a Downton Abby fan it was so much fun to see in person the scenes I saw in the series.
It was lovely of you to personally greet us and spend time talking with me as I babbled about meeting Julian and the cast members in New York City.
Thank you for graciousness in opening your home to us (the crazy Americans), it wil be a lasting memory!
Regards,
Nancy Patrick
BLESSING TO YOU AND YOURS THIS CHRISTMANS
Happy New Year to you and your family
Happy Christmas and best wishes as you enter 2016 beyond Downton Abbey 😉
We know the stories of great houses like Highclere are ongoing….and the world is a better place because of those who are the caretakers of historic homes.
I LOVE hearing from you, Lady Carnarvon! Your restorations may be slow, but are so worthy of your time, money and efforts. What a blessing for we Americans to feel as though we are a small part of your lovely home and its history. I will miss Downton Abbey as much for seeing your home as for the story lines, which were brilliant. Please keep in touch! I hope to visit Highclere one day. That is number one on my “bucket list!” Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year to you and yours…
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM CANADA .I had the pleasure of touring Highclere Castle in september and I hope to get the chance to do so again in the near future.
Happy New Year and I hope you will come back.
Merry Christmas from Arizona .thank you for your posts throughout the year. Wishing everyone a prosperous and happy new year.
A very warm and Merry Christmas to you all at Highclere Castle from Dedemsvaart – Holland. We always love to read your news about the Castle. Looking forward to Saturday evening when the documentary “Behind the scenes” will be broadcasted here on Dutch TV. We wish you all the best for 2016. In July or August we will visiting Highclere.
Dear Lady Carnarvon,
I am going back and forth and looking at your finished projects. It makes me want to finish mine and start more in 2016. We are so excited and counting down the days until Downton Abbey begins again. And I look forward to the day when we fly across the pond and visit Highclere Castle in person.
Merriest of Holidays to you and your large family.
Peggy Helbling
I have no doubt you will hugely enjoy the upcoming series! Happy New Year
Dear Countess:
I just thought I’d wish you and your family a Merry Christmas. I love seeing your pictures. And I was doubly thrilled to read about the future postings of recipes. I hope today treats you kind and lovely.
Sincerely,
Melinda
Oh I’m so excited about the “recipe a month” idea!!! I cannot wait. Living in the United States it will be so fun to try some of your recipes!
As always, I love your pictures and your writing.
– Dori –
A girlfriend sensibly said I must ensure you can print the recipes out as well!
A very Merry Christmas! Love sharing all your projects and am so excited to know you will be printing recipes. Hope you will have some everyday ones. I love trying new variations. Greetings from Virginia!
I enjoy cooking and so enjoy working with our chef, Paul. I hope it can be interesting to see the more complex recipes from Paul whilst I always focus on ones using herbs to aid health or family lunches and suppers.
I do enjoy your posts. And now have recipes and app to look forward to. Thank you! Merry Christmas from New Mexico, USA
Dear Lady Carnarvon,
Happy holidays from New Hampshire! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, pictures, and plans. Your home is a beautiful place, and I wish you well with all your projects. You have a wonderful team of helpers! Looking forward to the app and your recipes. I love English history and have immensely enjoyed Downton Abbey and the books and history connected to it. The tours you give us here bring it all to life, and I know I am one who appreciates your efforts very much. A very happy 2016 to you!
Margo
Merry Christmas from Austin, Texas. It is always a challenge when you have to restored specially such a state like yours . Watching DA, you made possible for us to admire all the art, antiques and grounds surrounding your amazing home. Thank you for sharing it with us Happy New Year 2016 from the Pretto ‘s family.
We are lucky
Dear Lady Carnarvon
Merry Christmas to you and yours from Norwich in New England.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful home with all of us who are Downtown (and now Highclere) fans!!
Best wishes for a wonderful New Year.
Merry Christmas from Orlando Florida. We were lucky enough to visit Highclere in August, and love your photos and updates. Looking forward to recipes and that app!
Merry Christmas from the Finger Lakes Region in New York State, wishing you a bountiful 2016!
Happy New Year
Merry Christmas from Vancouver Island, B.C. in Canada. I enjoy reading all about the projects and viewing the pictures you send. It is like being there. All the best in 2016. I know that you will be involved in many “adventures”. Blessings, Rosemary
I know I will adventures!
My reply had some finger trouble – but I venture i to new found and events and there will be hilarious adventures.
Merry Christmas from Boston, Massachusetts. Enjoy the holidays. Amazing job, it looks great! Hope to be able to visit in 2016. Excited for Downton Abbey to start in January.
ΚΑΛΑ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΘΓΕΝΝΑ – Merry Christmas to you all from Greece! ‘Love reading all your blogs and seeing all the wonderful projects
that are done, being done, and will be done at Highclere. Hoping one day to visit your beautiful estate again, and perhaps be able to
spend some nights at one of the remodeled cottages …what a thrill that would be! Looking forward to the New Year with Highclere recipes…yay! All the best for 2016!
Happy New Year to Catherine of Greece!
Merry Christmas from LaPorte, Indiana. Love your Christmas pics of the puppys. Our 17 year old black lab granddog, Jada, was unable to move quickly enough and got run over by a service truck last week so our hearts grieve this holiday season. We are cherishing our memories of Christmas’ past when she unwrapped her treats.
We got to visit and enjoy high tea at Highclere in August. Loved it.
Sharon Birlson Kirkham
I am so sorry about your dog – but what an age – amazing. One of the spaniels Rosie is getting a bit old and blind now but comes out with me when I ride and enjoys herself. Happy New Year
Merry Christmas from CT, a lovely spot to visit, full of old ( by American standards!), historic homes, always in need of renovations and updates. It is wonderful to watch the progress of your wonderful restoration work. Enjoy your evening!
Merry Christmas to all your family from Tabasco mexico
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Wheaton, Illinois, USA! I look forward to the app. I so enjoy hearing about you and your family and reading the books you write. We plan to visit Highclare Castle in 2017. Hopefully, you will still be open to visitors even though the series is ended.
Merry Christmas and wishes for a prosperous New Year! Thank you for sharing your accomplishments. Such a joy to read and follow.
I have always been enamoured with grand old homes…way before the Downton Abbey show appeared. This has been icing on my happiness cake, for certain! Thank you for sharing your home with us, and showing us all the nooks and crannies we would otherwise never get to see!
Blessings to you and your family during this Christmas season!
Lots more nooks and crannies!!
Merry Christmas and a healthy and Happy New Year. So happy to read of the new apt and the recipes. Have in the past tried some recipes from England and enjoyed them. Cannot wait to try your recipes.
We will have to share comments on the recipes!
Merry Christmas and thank you for sharing your wonderful home and restoration projects! It’s wonderful how we can all share stories and friendships, whether we are here in the States or across the pond …we just enjoyed a FaceTime call with our daughter & her family who are in Pirton, Hertfordshire visiting her husband’s family. What a joy to be able to visit and lift a glass of cheer all together, it certainly made our Christmas complete!! Now , if I only had some of her mother-in-law’s mincemeat pies and sloe gin, just delicious !!
I have been given a present of a bottle of gin mage from juniper berries from Beacon hill and sloes from the hill as well!
A Blessed Christmas and Peaceful New Year to you all.
Konrad
Thank you and to you and your family
Merry Christmas to All!
I’m enjoying my eggnog in my lovely Highclere glass!
Joy and Peace,
Carol a d Tom
Sounds good ! Happy New Year!
Thank you for engaging us in your many projects. It’s so very interesting and educational. It is amazing how much Work with a capital W it takes to keep this outstanding estate in operation. I don’t think we, your followers have any idea what goes in to making it run. Across the pond, we don’t have these estates. Well the Biltmore in Ashevile, NC and New Port, Rhode Island have what we call American Castles but the years and years of history is not the same.
Merry Christmas
It is fascinating, I love history and I am lucky to be here
A very Merry Christmas to you and your family and staff Lady Carnarvon !
We have just seen the Christmas special of Downton Abbey and now it was really the last one ! So I can now order series 6 and have the whole series complete ! Than we can enjoy everything again and your castle !
I look forward to having the app in january as well and receipes in future blogs !
What a nice set of photo’s from the changes you took and now we hope you’ll enjoy your family time and have a rest.
I wish you health , happiness and prosperity for 2016 !
Kind Regards,
Sophie Lamping from Hitchin in Hertfordshire .
My husband always thinks my photos are not good at all! My parents really took a photo with both head and feet and most of mine reflect the same talent!!! Thank you and Happy New Year
I hope you and yours had a very enjoyable Christmas, Lady Carnarvon! I am just winding down my family’s very busy day here in Charleston, South Carolina. One of my unexpected treats was to find another post from you waiting to be read. 🙂
I love the picture of you and the animal ‘kids’! A few even managed to get their festive garland scarves on – it’s quite an accomplishment to get so many in one photo! It was great to see follow–up pictures of some of the work you’ve posted about previously. I hope it is a wonderful feeling of accomplishment for everyone involved when you cross the finish line (or have gotten close to it) of a major project.
I am looking forward to your posts in the New Year and anticipate even more enjoyment with the new content you are planning. Thank you for sharing a slice of Highclere and your own life with us!
Cheers! Warm Hugs all around to everyone there!
Natalie
Happy New Year !
Merry Christmas to you all from Vancouver Island Canada, looking forward to new posts in the New Year and also the recipes. Visiting Highclere Castle is high on my list, I will look forward to that. Sheila
A scorching Christmas Day -37degrees Celsius.No air conditioning but still managed to enjoy a hot lunch.
Unfortunately many people have been impacted by the recent bushfires in our area,but a welcome 20mm of rain today has helped enormously.
Around 68 homes lost in Victoria this week.
Thank you for the updates on projects around your home.
We wish you and your Family a very happy New Year.
Regards Jenni
I hear about it on the news – the weather is very uneven in the world, with dreadful floods in the north of England too. I hope however you have a little more rain. Happy 2016
New to your blog, but I’ve loved what I’ve seen so far! 🙂 The restorations you’ve accomplished are AMAZING, especially considering the scale of the estate. It’s wonderful to know that such a grand home is in such good hands. T ake Care and Merry Christmas! xo Juli
Wow you have given me something to look forward to in January! You are such a fun and interesting person who truly seems to have the gift of making others happy. Anyone who has the pleasure of knowing you is certainly the better for it. For me, the last few years of reading your blogs and looking at all the lovely photos has been a pleasure and a privilege. Not everyone would be so generous with their time. I wish you and your family every happiness in the coming year and I cannot wait for the recipes and the app!
Thanks again for everything
Kind Regards
Mary Beth
Thank you – I enjoy writing this blog, and still feel I cannot decide what to share with you all as there is so much happening each week!
Happy New Year
Christmas is already behind, but I still want to wish you and your family a joyful Christmas period. Also hope and peace for 2016. And I thank you for your blog. It gives the impression to all the readers that they participate in something great and happy. Looking forward to your January news. And thank you again. Diane
Thank you and happy New Year to you and your family
I love them old beams in the Estate office they are a master piece in them selfs from bygone days.. I was lucky to get down to see Winchester Lodge just after it was finished & it looks stunning in the photo you have taken, but in the flesh to touch in & walk through it was just magical love history like this 🙂 I so look forward to 2016 & your new ventures you have got planed Lady Carnarvon, with a recipe each month & the occasional video sounds like a lot of fun 🙂
It will be good to be able to clear up around the Lodge when it is slightly drier… and then take a photo on a sunny day!
Thank you so much for your hard work restoring the impressive Highclere. For Anglophiles in the states who know most of our English history from a combination of Upstairs, Downstairs, Mr. Selfridge and Downton Abby I so appreciate the historic preservation!!
There are so good programmes to watch but Sunday’s next year will odd for us without Downton!
Merry Christmas from the United States. I enjoy your posts.
Dear Lady Carnarvon,
Love the latest blog, and seeing the animals getting into the festive spirit. Can’t wait for January and receiving the recipes too.
Happy New Year to you & your family. xx
I look forward to what you have in store for us in 2016!
The TIME you take to “share” your world with us is priceless & verrry much appreciated.
Thank you for ALL that you do at this wonderous property called HOME !!!
i always look forward to your blog
hugs Joan
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Poland.
Happy Christmas to you and your family. Thank you so much for sharing the castle with us. It is such a treasure. Best regards for a Happy New Year!
Dear Lady Carnarvon , I hope that you and your family had a joyous Christmas. And I hope that your New Year will be healthy and happy for you and your family. I think that the app is a brilliant idea. And the recipes as well, can’t wait to try them both. Also thank you for all the beautiful memories of 2015. Extra treat’s and sugar for the puppies and horses. Desiree.
Thank you – happy New Year to you!
I have been reading your blogs but I haven’t responded for awhile. I have alot going on here in the U.S. I look forward to seeing Lady Canarvan in my email.
I hate that this will be the last season for Downton Abby. I do hope you will keep sending your articles. With so much going on with me I live vicariously through your articles.
Tell Julianne Fellows that another show would be great set 200 years earlier in the same place. I think all of us followers would love that.
I am not stopping my blog at all – I just want to add to it and Highclere goes on!
Enjoyed visiting Highclere in May and meeting you. You are doing an exceptional job!
Would love to chat with you again. Let me know if you are ever in the Chicago IL area.
My husband and I wish you and your family a Happy New Year and keep up the good work!
I cannot wait for the new App to be up! Exciting! And speaking of Winchester Lodge, I live in Winchester, Virginia, which is a sister city to Winchester, England. So that makes us, the Winchester, Virginia residents, a little bit related to all of you … doesn’t it! It’s kind of a sweet, happy thought!
Dear Lady Carnarvon,
I want to thank you for allowing us if just for a brief moment into your beautiful home! I get myself-stressed out just writing my books, working, and cleaning my small home I could only imagine what you go through! I can’t wait till next month for your recipes. I hope you have a wonderful new year~waving from Saint Augustine, Florida.
Sincerely,
Jacqueline
Dear Lady,
thank you for allowing this series to follow in a beautiful castle . Everything is beautiful , the place, the actors. a very big congratulations ; Downton Abbey will miss it , but fortunately I have the full package.
I am French , and surely will come visit your property.
Cordially
Nathalie Loiseau
A belated Merry Christmas and best wishes for a wonderful new year. Thanks for the photos. I especially like the door knobs in the hallway and the old beams. Looking forward to the recipes and video tours coming in January. Alas, that might be the only way I will be able to enjoy the Highclere experience.
Dear Lady Carnarvon; Enjoyed our visit to the castle last Christmas..PLEASE let us know when you have a cottage to rent weekly.We travel to England yearly and it would be a great area to do day trips from an to relax in the country.Happy New Year and safe travels,
Stephen
I am going to start planning the Grotto! I first however need to check the roof etc
After our visit to Highclere in Sept., the last day the house was open, we will enjoy the Downton Abbey Series even more since our visit was so wonderful and fulfilling. I have tried to create our 1928 home into my own “English Cottage” and am always on the look-out for new, but really old – items to add to an already-filled home. Thanks for the inspiration and Happy New Year to all of yours.
Happiest of Christmas wishes to you and your Family from across the pond in Newfoundland Canada!
Thank you so much for opening up your lovely old home to the world via the wonderful modern venue of this blog and the Internet. What a delightful marriage of old meets new!
Highclere holds a dear place in my heart for many reasons….
– I love stately old homes
– I have held a fascination with all things related to King Tutankhamen ever since I was a small child
– I have (I must confess) now also become a huge fan of Downton Abbey
My husband and I hope to visit Britan this coming summer to celebrate our silver Wedding Anniversary –
one key destination will most certainly be a visit to your beatiful Estate for the Concert picnic of the Proms in August!
I can not wait to see what changes restorations and upgrades you complete in the New Year!
Dear Lady Carnarvon.
I have been following Egyptian history for over 50 years, especially the King Tutankhamen period. When I first watched Downton and saw the Carnarvon name associated with the Castle, I recognized it immediately. How fortunate you are to live at Highclere. I can’t imagine what it takes to maintain such a place. But I want to thank you for doing so.
I can’t tell you how much I will miss Downton Abbey. We all watched not just for the fabulous storyline and the wonderful actors, but the Castle played a most important part, also. Thank you for opening up your home to the production company. It must have been quite a sacrifice. I’m sure you’re glad it’s all behind you now. My dream is to visit the Castle one day.
I am eagerly awaiting your recipes and your new app. Thank you for sharing your pictures with us. I especially like the ones featuring you and your pets. It’s fun to see the Castle improvements, also. How do you ever manage so many projects? I wanted to tell you to please be very careful with linseed oil, as the rags you use can spontaneously combust. A business near me burned to the ground from linseed rags. It would be heartbreaking to see damage to Highclere.
I’d like to wish you and your family a very happy Christmas and all the best in the coming 2016 New Year. Please keep up your blog. It is always wonderful to see your lovely home. Sincerely, Carol Kane – Wilmington, DE USA
Dear Carol, I often think I rather muddle through projects and think that give and take and knowing it is all not perfect makes for a happier life! I will double check that no linseed oil is left in the building – thank you we apply it with paintbrushes which are then all washed out and removed!
Experiencing Highclere was a pure joy this holiday season! The Christmas Fair was delightful and my husband and I felt we were treated “royally” as guests of the Christmas Cocktail Party with such wonderful music, service, food and drink (the warm Pims was a treat!). The castle was as beautiful as I could have imagined in holiday dress and spirit and yet in all its splendor Highclere still exudes the warm feeling of a well-loved home. What really brought meaning to the evening was meeting you and the Earl and understanding your deep love, respect and commitment to the preservation of the history, beauty and uniqueness that is Highclere – this wondrous corner of our world where millions can still dream dreams and let their imaginations flourish. I am now in the process of reading Lady Almina (great job!) in anticipation of the final season of Downton Abbey to be aired here next week. Best Wishes for the New Year (and by the way, you looked radiant!) and thank you!
Patsy Burkhart
Firstly I hope you enjoy Almina – and secondly I love the Christmas week here, it always has such a nice atmosphere
Happy New Year from Virginia Beach, Virginia
Dear Lady Carnarvon,
As we settle back in Virginia Beach after a very memorable trip to England with a visit to Newbury and Highclere Village we are counting our blessings. By far the highlight of our trip was a visit to Highclere Castle ! We also enjoyed our stay with Joanne Walsh at Highclere Farm B & B. .Although Highclere Castle was closed during our visit we are very grateful to Joanne and Sally for the opportunity to visit the Highclere Castle gift shop and see the beautiful castle up close !
Another memorable event was attending your very informative lecture on the history of Highclere Castle and getting to meet you at the Highclere Church. You might remember that John and your Father in Law have had a common interest in the Lord Baltimore Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland. We were particularly pleased to have a chat with Nanny and learn of the great support she has provided t the Carnarvon family for many years.
Our many devoted Downton Abbey fans in Virginia are very jealous of us when they hear about our trip, but were very happy when they received their Christmas gifts from the Highclere Castle gift shop!
We hope to return again in the near future for a more extensive tour of Highclere Castle and explore the lovely area around Newbury..
Please extend our best wishes to the Walshes and Sally.
We want to wish you and all your family good health and a very Happy New Year in 2016.
We are enjoying your biog and hope for your safety during some of your high ladder activities.
CDR John and Betty Rehme, USN (ret)
Virginia Beach, Virginia
e
.
Thank you for sharing your home with us!! Best wishes for a happy and healthy NewYear!!
Thanks for. All the wonderful photos of highclere and your wonderful blogs which I look forward to all the time ,we visited your wonderful home in June and had a wonderful day and we met your husband that day which was a nice surprise.I am from Cambridge and have been living in Maryland USA for years we are looking forward to the final series of downton abbey which starts on Sunday, also to your recipes in the new year,we wish you and your family happy new year and hope to visit your wonderful home again soon.
I have only recently started following your blog about Highclere Castle and find it extremely interesting.
You seem to have a great deal of American followers but I am from much closer to your home being originally from Andover just up the road from you. I am now resident in Spain but love tales from home. I pass your estate regularly when visiting my family who still reside in Andover. I am hoping to time our next UK visit so I can actually catch one of your open days!
Keep up the good work, our history needs preserving.
Hoping you, your family and all the hard working people on your estate have a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.
Just had to post and hope that Lord and Lady Carnarvon have been able to see the beautiful Downton Abbey float in the Rose Parade! A gorgeous reproduction of Highclere Castle done in flowers and seeds and just amazing! What a tribute to your beautiful home!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Vermont. May God bless you and your whole family. Thank-you for sharing your life with me.
Happy New Year from Kansas, USA. What a delight it is to read your blog. I live in a Victorian built in 1892, and it’s a never-ending battle to keep old homes in good repair. I can well imagine what it must be for you. I so agree with you on the smell of linseed oil. I oiled the beams in my basement and the whole house smells new. By the way, have you seen the new Downton Abbey quilting fabric that is out on the market now? I love it. I’m guessing someone has made you a quilt using that fabric by now.
Happy New Year – love to check in with your restorations
How wonderful you are. Thank you so much for sharing all of this. And thank you for taking such good care of keeping this special place alive! I am watching a special on you and your husband on TV just now.. watching you ride on the grounds.. and it is so amazing. My Mom and I are coming in September.. we’re from Alberta Canada.. and I am so hoping that the castle will be open.. we’ll be watching for the summer schedule in early Feb. Happy New Year.. the best to you and your family!
We open for the first part of September and then have one weekend around the 10/11Sept where we will have a traditional fete etc and ask everyone to come in vintage dress!! If that helps you plans
The Downton float in the Rose Parade was the perfect winner of the Queen’s Trophy. Was any of the Highclere household able to ride the float? I can’t wait to see Highclere for myself someday soon.
Happy New Year from Illinois. Thank you so much for writing this blog for those of us who have not visited yet. My sister and I are coming to England and Scotland in July of this year. We are planning a visit to see the castle and the gardens. Love the pics of your dogs and horses.
We open around July 13th and the tickets go on sale from February 1st or 2nd if that helps your plans!
Our family had a wonderful visit to Highclere last summer. Merry Christmas to you all!
Dear Lady Carnarvon, Your home is something fairy tales are made of. Last August I had tickets to come visit your home but my father fell sick and passed away so everything had to be cancelled.I live in Florida,,US I hope to get another chance someday the show is such a tribute to your home. I hope you have a wonderful New Year! Thank you Rebecca
I am very sorry for you sadness last summer but I hope you will try again this year or next!
Dear Lady Cararvon,
It warms my heart , to no end, to see history, not only preserved ,but thriving.
I have just discovered this site , so you can imagine my joy.
The preservation of history is vital !.
I enjoyed the special I recorded regarding the castle. The interviews and narrative of the show, intensified the need to preserve your families history.
Thank you for your wonderful interviews and overviews of ehat is offered at the castle presented, during the show.
Please accept my gratitude ,directed to yourself, Lady Cararvon and to your husband The Earl . There appears to be a tremendous opportunities offered at the castle.
Your home is spectacular !.
Wishing you all good fortune for the upcoming season .
Lady C –
I recently watched a DA episode that called attention to the blank shields carved in the mantle in the Abbey section of the castle. I’ve tried looking up information on why a builder would leave them blank, but I haven’t found anything. Do you know what the story is behind them, or are they a prop for the show?
I am fascinated by architecture and am very pleased to have found your blog.
My guess would be that the fireplace was Victorian in the Gothic revival style. Originally, internal medieval stonework was brightly painted, so a stone shield would have been left blank by the mason so that the correct design could be painted-on later. In the case of church stonework, it was all ordered to be whitewashed-over during the English Reformation (see the Putting away of Books and Images Act 1549) and so later generations came to think of Gothic carvings being without colour. A possible analogy is classical sculpture, where the eyeballs were left blank so that the pupils could be painted, but later imitations just had eyes with no detail.
You are quite right – I have a sketch as proposed for the Saloon which is much more ornate and colourful – in fact I think it is in the AT Home book.. it was just not all carried out. I also change my mind!!!!
Some of the original designs for the Saloon (in which where stone shields feature) were much more elaborate-there are un-carved shields elsewhere – I leave things too where I have not come to a conclusion! I simply think I am on a journey you pick some things up and you leave some things…
Lady Carnarvon, I am sitting here watching the latest episode of Downton abbey where the maid gets married and I am crying about how gracious the Countess was in giving her coat to Mrs Hughes Your family is such a wonderful family and I do believe this is not all fictional and just to know how gracious kind loving caring your family is. That is what makes a true family and I do hope you have much success in your household and I do hope you think of selling off little plots on the ground like other castles do It would be an honor to buy a 1 ft by 1 ft to have a aka Lord title but the true honor is to know I am helping the castle out in a small way I wish you all the best and truly love reading your posts Yours faithfully andrew nemeth
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