Bampton is only a 20-minute drive from Burford in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds but really is a must-visit destination if you’re a Downton Abbey fan.
After Highclere Castle, the most iconic of the show’s buildings, it harbours the greatest number of recognizable filming locations in one spot and played the part of Downton Village throughout the TV show’s history.
Here’s all of the famous Downton Abbey filming locations you can see in Bampton, a charming and rather sleepy little town.
Churchgate House – This house used to be the site of the town’s old rectory but was used for the exterior shots of Isobel Crawley’s home. This was the house into which Isobel and her son Matthew moved after they received the announcement that Matthew was heir to the Earl of Grantham’s estate. Isobel then later inhabited the house with hew new husband, Richard.
Church View – This is actually one long street which was used for many street scenes in ‘Downton Village’. The two houses pictured below (with the brown and white front doors) played the façade of the fictional Dog and Duck Pub. A second house, also on Church View, was used for exterior shots of The Grantham Arms, where Branson stayed after he lost his job as a chauffeur at the Abbey.
Church View (2) – The small grassy area at the end of Church View (in front of Churchgate House) was used as the site of the Downton Village fair.
Bampton Community Archive – This building formed the exterior of the Downton hospital. It used to house an old grammar school, but today has been turned into an archive facility detailing the history of Bampton and its residents. Visitors can view and purchase Downton Abbey memorabilia here.
St Mary’s Church – Last, but certainly not least, is St Mary’s Church (aptly named, considering the name of one of the lead characters). In the TV show, it was called St Michael and All Angels, and was the site of many weddings, funerals and even a jilting at the altar! Lady Mary got married there twice, Lady Edith got married there, as well as being left at the altar in season 3 by Anthony Strallan, and Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes also wed in this church throughout the course of the show.
Unlike the rest of the locations on this list, scenes were filmed both inside and out of this church, and visitors today can see photographs from the show on display at the back of the church building.
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