Visiting Highclere Castle (Downton Abbey) — Afternoon Tea & Gift Shop: Part 2

Highclere Castle — the setting of Downton Abbey

Highclere Castle — the real-life filming location of the beloved TV drama and film Downton Abbey.

📖 The World of Downton Abbey (Amazon) — a beautiful coffee-table book exploring the costumes and visual design of the series.

When I found out that the castle opens to the public during certain periods of the year, and a lucky set of coincidences made the visit possible, I knew I had to share the full story of how we made it happen. This is Part 2 of our Highclere Castle series.

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Afternoon tea after the guided tour
What we bought in the gift shop
Total time spent at the castle
Tips for a future visit

Afternoon Tea After the Guided Tour

The charming café at Highclere Castle where we had afternoon tea

The cosy little café where we enjoyed afternoon tea after the guided tour — simple and utterly charming.

Our package included afternoon tea at the café after the guided tour of the castle interior. We exchanged the voucher we had received in advance, and were served a lovely spread.

Everything arrived on a single plate: soup, sandwiches, carrot cake, what appeared to be Victoria sponge, a crème brûlée-style dessert, a scone, and a slice of quiche. (The Downton Abbey Official Cookbook — available on Amazon →)

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A choice of coffee, tea, or still water was included. The standout for me was the carrot cake — moist, generously frosted, and absolutely delicious. Everything else was pleasantly straightforward.

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Afternoon tea plate at Highclere Castle café

What We Bought in the Gift Shop

After afternoon tea, we popped into the castle’s gift shop, where ticket holders receive a complimentary photo book — in our case, a cookbook — as part of the tour package.

The cookbook is a lovely keepsake, though it is quite heavy to carry home. If you’d like something lighter that really captures the world of Downton Abbey, I’d recommend the official Downton Abbey books on Amazon — beautifully produced and available in English.

Beyond the photo book, I also picked up a wonderfully fragrant candle made from plants grown on the Highclere estate, as well as a sturdy canvas tote bag. The shop is filled with gorgeous soaps, hand creams, and ceramics — all with a refined, estate-house aesthetic and impressive quality.

Highclere Castle canvas tote bag from the gift shop

The canvas tote bag — £15. Roomy, shoulder-friendly, and one of my favourite souvenirs. (Yes, it’s been used since — hence the tiny smudge!)

Lavender and geranium candle from Highclere Castle gift shop

A lavender and geranium candle — around £7. The scent is gorgeous.

Keep in mind that the gift shop is exclusively for visitors — you can’t pop in without a ticket. That said, prices were more reasonable than I expected.

How Long Did We Actually Spend There?

We started exploring the grounds at around 11:30 a.m. and didn’t leave until after 4:00 p.m. — that’s roughly four and a half hours in total.

That said, our visit included a structured guided tour of the interior (about an hour). If you’re visiting during a period when you can explore the rooms freely at your own pace, I’d estimate you could easily spend six hours or more to do it justice.

My ideal itinerary for a solo or self-guided visit: arrive right at opening, spend 1.5–2 hours exploring the interior at a leisurely pace, then enjoy tea, and finish with the gardens and gift shop. Arriving first thing and staying until close would be the way to make the most of it.

Tips for a Future Visit

Whether you visit independently or join a guided tour, I’d strongly recommend doing a little homework beforehand — reading up on the history of Highclere Castle, the British aristocracy, and of course Downton Abbey itself. Coming prepared makes the whole experience so much richer.

There are several excellent books available in English that cover the world of the show and the history of the estate. I’d also suggest watching Downton Abbey from the very beginning before you go — you’ll notice so many more details once you’re standing inside the actual rooms. (👉 Downton Abbey: The Complete Series on Amazon →)

The following book also features Highclere Castle in some detail and is well worth reading before your visit.

From a broader perspective, it makes perfect sense for estates like Highclere to open their doors to the public — it’s one of the few sustainable ways to fund the ongoing maintenance of these extraordinary historic properties. Many country houses in England have been lost simply because upkeep costs became unmanageable.

Highclere Castle is a success story in that regard: Downton Abbey has turned it into an internationally recognised destination, drawing visitors from around the world and helping ensure the estate’s future. (The World of Downton Abbey by Jessica Fellowes — available on Amazon →)

For my next visit, I plan to do things differently — study the history properly, watch all of Downton Abbey from the start, and come during a free-exploration period (for 2025, that appears to be July and August) so I can wander through the rooms entirely at my own pace.

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