Matthew Crawley and Lady Mary stroll through the town, Episode 3
While it is popularly known that the interior and exterior scenes of Downton Abbey were filmed in Highclere Castle, the market town of Brampton, where the scenes of the town were shot, is not so well known. Bampton is located in Oxfordshire and was chosen because “the village provided an authentic backdrop close to London.”*
Matthew (Dan Stevens) and Mrs. Crawley (Penelope Wilton) arrive in their new home
Yesterday, villagers gathered outside St Mary’s Church to watch Penelope Wilton, who plays Mrs Reginald Crawley, and Dan Stevens, who plays her son Matthew Crawley, arriving at the family home.
Ms Wilton said: “This is one of the prettiest villages I have ever been to. It feels like living in a timewarp.”*
The film crew was not able to hide all 21st century influences. Notice the t.v. arial
Drama as Modern Life Intrudes in Hit TV Show discusses the difficulty of filming a period movie in a location, and viewers “have spotted a TV aerial on a roof, electricity pylons, a modern conservatory and double yellow lines on a road.” One villager remarked, “nothing is ever perfect.”
Bampton (St. Mary's Church in the background), 1965. Image @Francis Frith
- *Village is the star of the Show
- ***Francis Frith Photos
- Bampton, Oxfordshire
- Listen to audio samples of interviews with the actors and writer , Dowton Abbey: What is a Weekend?
- Highclere Castle and Downton Abbey
Jane Austen's World 