The estate of Highclere and Burghclere, Hampshire.
Fitzwilliam:
Highclere and Burghclere were
confiscated from the church
by Edward VI
in 1551.
They were
granted in 1551
by Edward VI to
Sir William Fitzwilliam.
Fitzwilliam died in 1559.
His widow was the patron of
Highclere church
as at 1563.
Fitzwilliam's heirs sold Highclere and Burghclere in 1577.
Sawyer:
Highclere and Burghclere were acquired by
Sir Robert Sawyer in 1677.
He rebuilt the old house at Highclere as Highclere Place House in 1679.
He built a new church at Highclere
in 1687-1689.
He died at Highclere, 1692.
Herbert:
Highclere was inherited by Sir Robert Sawyer's grandson
Robert Sawyer Herbert.
He died 1769.
He left
Highclere to his nephew
Henry Herbert, 1st Earl of Carnarvon.
He died 1811.
The house was at this time called Highclere House.
In 1842-1849
Henry Herbert, 3rd Earl of Carnarvon,
re-built
Highclere House
to a Jacobethan and Italianate design by
Charles Barry.
The former house was left mostly intact inside his exterior re-design.
The new house was called
Highclere Castle.
Home of
George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon
(Lord Carnarvon, the Egyptologist, died 1923).
Still the seat of the Earl of Carnarvon today.
The house is open to the public.
Highclere Castle has been used for many
film and TV locations.
Notably as
the setting for the TV series, and series of films,
Downton Abbey (2010 on).
Highclere Castle
on OS map. Revised: 1894. Published: 1897.
Shows the ruin of the old church.
The new church is some distance away from this site.
See modern map.
Highclere House before the 1840s alteration.
From opposite p.110
in [Barry, 1867].
Extracted here.
Highclere House after alteration.
From near p.110
in [Barry, 1867].
Extracted here.
360 view of Highclere Castle.
From Google Maps,
which has more 360 views.
Drone footage of Highclere Castle in the snow, 2015.
See more drone videos.
Trailer for the movie
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale
(2025).
Highclere Castle. The drawing room in the 1890s.
From Highclere Castle photo album.
The album was for sale in 2017.
Some of the portraits at Highclere as at 1865.
Note portraits of
Margaret Sawyer
and
Philip Herbert, 4th Earl of Pembroke.
Also a copy of the Wilton
group portrait.
From Highclere on
pp.296-297
of
A handbook for travellers in Surrey, Hampshire, and the Isle of Wight
(2nd edn, 1865).
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