Interesting Facts Behind Downton Abbey and Highclere Castle

Fact: The Queen herself has been a frequent visitor to the Highclere Castle since the hit television series aired.

Although most of the scenes are shot in the kitchen and servant quarters, the kitchen has been modernized. So shooting for this critical part of the show is done in a separate studio in London.

Highclere castle isn’t just famous for Downton Abbey, rather it was the site for Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise in “Eyes Wide Shut.” Also, it was the exterior for “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.”

The show estimates the cost per episode to be one million pounds.

Actor, Michelle Dockery was originally born in Barking, Essex. She was reportedly found to lost roles due to her Essex accent.

Jessica Brown Findley (Lady Sybil) was originally an excellent ballet dancer and was invited to dance at the Russian Kirov Ballet Company before she was forced to switch to acting after having ankle surgery.

The roles for Hugh Bonneville, Brendan Coyle and Maggie Smith’s were actually written for them. So they never had to audition for their parts.

The part for Matthew Crawley, played by Dan Stevens was never originally supposed to die. Dan Stevens never intended to stay on. So the writers were forced to come up with a plausible ending for him and the crash was the next logical step.

When actors and actresses sign for a role on tv shows in the UK, they usually commit about 5-7 years.