I met a very interesting gentleman today who it turns out once restored part of the ceiling of ‘Downton Abbey’, the castle featured in the very popular current TV drama of the same name.
This famous castle near Newbury goes by its real name of Highclere castle and dates back to 1842, although the owners, the Canarvan family, can lay claim to owning a castle on the site since 1679. While reading about it, I came across this article, published by the Telegraph in 2010:
It seems the popularity of the TV series has helped to save the castle with various restoration projects currently underway.
In an age where our nation’s castles, stately homes and arts heritage in general are all suffering such difficulties, it is heart-warming to hear a good news story. A quick look on the castle’s website reveals they are now inundated with requests for visits. Long may it continue.
Zoe Finlay Paper Conservation 