Fictionally the little town is known as Downton, but its real name is Bampton, Oxfordshire. Bampton lies in a northeasterly direction across Cotswold meadows from Kelmscott, the country home of William Morris. You can see my post on Kelmscott here.
In view of the fact that series lV commenced for many of you last night it seemed a good moment to feature a Downton Abbey quiz. This quiz received more correct answers than any of my previous ones.
Well done to the following - in the order that they were received
Loi - United States
Christina - United States
Susanhal - no website or location
Wendy - England
Val - Portugal
Susan - Canada
Nilly - England
Pamela RG - Canada
Sanda - United States
Thank you all for your comments.
My goodness, never would have guessed it was Downton Abbey. The church looks so different. We do have that programme here, I really like it.
ReplyDeleteI thought there was a possibility that you might have seen it - apparently it is seen in over 100 countries. Next time you watch it may be you will recognise more things. Watch out for the Norman arch over the church doorway, the high cotswold stone walls, and Mrs. Crawley's house.
DeleteHello Rosemary, I guess I'll have to head to Oxfordshire to see this town, as I have no television. Also, you can chalk up another coincidence. The name of the town reminded me of the singer Rose Bampton, so I looked her up, and discovered that she came from the Cleveland, Ohio area.
ReplyDelete--Jim
Hello Jim - it is always intriguing how one coincidence can lead to yet another. If you enjoy this kind of architecture and countryside then staying in Oxford itself and may be hiring a car would make an interesting trip.
DeleteDear Rosemary,places i have'nt see and would love to visit!!They do'nt play Downtown on our TV!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing!!Have a nice week!!
Dimi...
May be it will be heading to Greece in the future.
DeleteDear Rosemary,
ReplyDeletethank you for lifting the secret about the 'real' village. 7 days ago a friend send me 3 seasons of Downton Abbey as a birthday present, so very kind - but now I own 2 sets! :-) Will make someone else happy and entertained with it. I love Maggie Smith!
I know Kelmscott, but now Bampton is on my list for 2014, thanks to you.
Dear Brigitta - Bampton is just a short hop, skip and a jump from Kelmscott. If you do go, make sure that you head towards the church tower, there are two distinct parts to Bampton.
DeleteThank you, that's good to know! Now I'll hop into the right direction, skipping the part without a church tower.
Delete♥
DeleteHi Rosemary, so I wasn't too off. I just didn't know that they called the fictional town Downton as well (should have pay better attention when watching the show ;-)), I just thought Downtown Abbey was the name of the Manor house. Anyway, thanks for this fun quiz and letting us know where the real locations are. I would love to visit one day! By the way, Downton Abbey, season IV, aired yesterday night in the US. I couldn't watch it but it is safely recorded on the Tivo for later :-).
ReplyDeleteChristina
Hello Christina - yes the town is called Downton, and Downton Abbey is the name of the house which is supposed to be in the countryside near the town. Downton Abbey is actually Highclere Castle in Berkshire and is the home of the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon. Hope you enjoy the first episode when you see it.
DeleteDear Rosemary,
ReplyDeleteWell, of course I should have guessed that it was Downton Abbey. A friend informed my that Princess Diana's brother now owns the estate, and has spent a vast sum to restore it.
Dear Mark - it seems that nearly everyone has heard of Downton Abbey, even if they do not have a TV!!!
DeleteUnfortunately your friend has given you incorrect information. Downton Abbey is really Highclere Castle which has always been the home of the Carnarvon family. It is currently owned by the 8th Earl and Countess Carnarvon.
The Princess of Wales brother, Earl Spencer, lives at Althorpe which has been the Spencer family home for over 500 years. I do understand that he has spent a lot of money on it recently.
Thank you! I would hate to spread misinformation.
DeleteI think this is not on the dutch television...I never hurt about it.
ReplyDeleteThe photo's are really nice.
Have a nice evening.
Greetings,
Inge, my choice
May be it will be coming your way soon Inge. Thanks for your kind comment.
DeleteI wondered whether it might be Downton, but not being a great telly watcher (even that!) was hesitant to guess. It must have been exciting for the village to have the filming take place there.
ReplyDeleteI actually only discovered that Bampton was the town where they filmed Downton when we visited Kelmscott. We went to a craft fair and spoke to one of the exhibitors who came from Bampton, and he told us.
DeleteSorry I missed your competition , it's nice to know where Downton is filmed. Hope you aren't suffering too much with all this rain. Do you live right in the valley?
ReplyDeleteSarah x
The weather has been peculiar here Sarah - one day beautiful and sunny the next the total opposite i.e. pouring with rain. Fortunately we do not live in the valley but right up on the top looking down. We are 750 feet up so sadly for all the people below us the rain from here flows straight down to them.
DeleteHi Rosemary,
ReplyDeleteI will visit The Cotswolds again in May Rosemary. Bampton will be on my list :-)
Have a lovely week!
Madelief x
Hello Madelief - you must try and visit Wm Morris's home too. If you go to Bampton watch out for the church tower and follow it. There are two distinct parts to Bampton.
DeleteI wouldn't have been any good at the quiz, as I don't watch Downton abbey (yes i know, must be the only person in the world who doesn't) But I do know that the house itself is Highclere castle in Berkshire which is not so far away. I've been meaning to visit for years and in 2014 I really will. Should probably add Bampton to my list - it looks lovely. Happy new year to you Rosemary.
ReplyDeleteDear Jenny - I think that it is possibly more popular overseas than it is here. Highclere Castle is well worth a visit, it is several years since I went but I loved seeing the Egyptian collection.
DeleteYippee Rosemary, I am amongst the winners.
ReplyDeleteThe sentence that got me thinking about downton..was the hospital. I confess that i have not watched every single programme. Its on our tv. But i remember the hospital scene and the scenes looked familiar.
a little research , to confirm.and voila.
great Rosemary.. well done to the other winners.
Like Jenny, Bampton will be on my list when i visit England one day in the future.
What about a post of the Egyptian collection at Highclere Castle.. a post maybe.!
Dear Val - I wonder what you know about the Egyptian collection at Highclere Castle?
DeleteJust under 100 years ago, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon famously discovered the Tomb of the Egyptian Boy Pharaoh, Tutankhamum with his archaeological colleague, Howard Carter. Shortly after the discovery
the Earl suffered a severe mosquito bite infected by a razor cut and died. This led to the story of the 'Curse of Tutankhamum - the 'Mummy's Curse".
We enjoyed watching Downton Abbey last night. It showed the town numerous times. It would be nice to visit the town one day plus of course, Highclere Castle too.
ReplyDeleteHighclere Castle is a lovely place to visit and Bampton is situated in a good spot for visiting many other interesting locations including Oxford itself.
DeleteGlad you enjoyed the first episode of the new series, and were able to spot some of the locations.
Dear Rosemary, I read this post and the previous one. Perfectly lovely landscape and British period drama! It’s no wonder that Bampton is sued for shooting film or TV drama scenes and I I think any place in Cotswold is suitable for that opportunity. I checked if I can see the drama in Japan, and yes, if you subscribe “Star Channel” of cablevision. Season 3 is to start on January 26. I’ll wait for the coming of rental videos. Japanese title comes with a sub-title “Downton Abbey – aristocracy, maid, and inheritance” . Is it fair?
ReplyDeleteWith all the best wishes to your year 2014.
Yoko
Dear Yoko - I think perhaps I would sum it up by saying that the series depicts the lives of the fictional aristocratic Crawley family and their servants. It covers great events in history which affected all of their lives. Apparently it is the most widely watched TV drama show the world.
DeleteDownton Abbey is very popular here. We will probably see the latest in the series during our winter this year. Lovely to see the photos of the different buildings around the village.
ReplyDeleteA happy and healthy new year to you and your family Rosemary. I've been having problems with internet connection and havn't been visiting. Sometime it works, but not always. Hope to have running smoothly soon.
Betty
Dear Betty - it is so annoying and frustrating when your internet connection does not work properly - hope that it is soon sorted for you.
DeleteIt is lovely to hear from you, enjoy the next series when it arrives with you.
It is fascinating to see where places are filmed. If it's not too disruptive, I imagine it can be really fun for the locals, watching the scenes being shot and then seeing it on TV later.
ReplyDeleteI think quite a lot of businesses are flourishing as a result of the filming - pubs, cafes, and craftspeople. They are only filming for one or two days, and several of the extras are played by the locals.
DeleteIt does look surprisingly like Masham, North Yorks!
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree - many of the little limestone towns running along the spine of Britain resemble one another.
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