Cast of Downton Abbey staying at pub near Highclere

Last week, the Newbury Weekly News revealed that former chef, and restaurateur, Marco Pierre White, has re-launched the pub as part of his Wheeler’s of St James Group.
And among guests staying in the pub’s 23 bedrooms are cast members of Downton Abbey, Marco Pierre White has since revealed.
Mostly filmed at nearby Highclere Castle, filming recently started on a third series of the series, which is written by actor and writer Julian Fellowes and is set to have Oscar-winning Hollywood actress, Shirley MacLaine, join the cast, the producers of the drama, Carnival Films, recently confirmed.
The famed 77-year-old actress - star of more than 60 films - is to take on the role of a new character, Lady Grantham’s mother-in-law, Martha Levinson and the series is to be broadcast from September.
Marco Pierre-White who also revealed he has plans for the pub’s garden including a 100-tree pear orchard added that so far businees had been brisk.
“We have lots of straightforward food, we are not trying to be flash,” he said on Friday. “If you deliver good honest food at a fair price, recession or no recession you will do very well. Last Saturday and Sunday we did nearly 200 meals on each day and the bedrooms are booked every single night.
“I think it’s lovely when you have the local aristocrat and farm labourers coming in.”
FOR AN IN DEPTH INTERVIEW WITH MARCO PIERRE WHITE AND MORE PHOTOGRAPHS SEE THE MARCH 22 ISSUE OF OUT AND ABOUT