Period drama, comedy.....Highclere has it all

As of Monday morning, an unofficial board with ‘Twinned with Downton Abbey’ was added to the welcome to Highclere signs adorning the entrance to the village.
The Victorian stately home Highclere Castle is used for exterior shots of Downton Abbey and most of the interior filming, and the popularity of the ITV period drama has thrust the tourist attraction and village into the national limelight.
All group tours of the Victorian stately home for 2013 are already sold out.
“It is quite funny, it is pretty much what everyone thinks. It has been good for the village and the castle in getting tourists in, even if it is a bit naughty,” said a Highclere resident who asked not to be named.