When my cousins told me that we were just 10 minutes drive from Highclere Castle, also known as the home of the TV series ‘Downton Abbey’, I just about fell off my chair – it’s fair to say I’m a huge fan of the show. I am now staying with my English cousins in Newbury, a pretty town located about an hour west of London near Reading. When they saw my enthusiasm, we decided that Highclere would have to be one of the first places I went to around Newbury.

We turned up on a rainy afternoon, but nothing could dampen my excitement as we drove through the park and, turning the corner, saw the house looking just exactly as it does on tv – amazing!

Unfortunately you can’t take pictures inside, but fans of the show should rest assured, the bits that are used for filming appear just the same, including the library, dining room, drawing rooms, and many of the bedrooms. The rest of the house is also really interesting, and includes an Egyptian exhibition, of all things! The fifth Earl of Highclere was quite the explorer, and was, with Howard Carter, the joint discoverer of Tutankhanum’s tomb. The exhibition features a reproduction of what they would have seen as they broke into the tomb, and full-scale replicas of the sarcophagus and many of the treasures found with it. Very cool!

Back outside, we explored the Monk’s Garden, the Secret Garden, and the beautiful meadow lawn. I was fascinated by the follies that are dotted around the landscape, including ‘Heaven’s Gate’, located high on a hill overlooking the castle, and ‘Jackdaw’s Castle’, featuring Corinthian columns.

Highclere Castle is home to Lord and Lady Carnavon, but open to public view during the spring and summer – if you’d like to wander its beautiful rooms and gardens too, check the website here.  Purchasing tickets is highly recommended, as even on a rainy afternoon like this one the Castle was very busy with excited fans.

Another of our trips was to the gorgeous wee village of Alresford in Berkshire, which my cousin Becca had recently ‘discovered’ and fallen in love with. We discovered that much of the village had been destroyed in two massive fires in 1689 and 1736, meaning most of the buildings were rebuilt in the Georgian style. The charming high street, with its independent book stores and cafes, and the view point looking down the lake were particularly lovely.

It was great to see summer had arrived, just in time for the start of June! We made the most of the greatly improved weather by heading to Donnington Castle, a ruin located high on the hill above Newbury. It was built around 1386, although only the gate-house now survives. It has a fantastic view over the surrounding country-side, although sadly you can’t go up the top anymore to take full advantage of it.

I particularly loved the gargoyles carved at every level of the stonework.

I hear that the sunshine will continue for at least a day or two – yay for British summer!