If you are a fan of the British TV show Downton Abbey you are probably aware of what stands in for the big house on the show- Highclere Castle. But do you know where they actually filmed the outside village scenes for the show? The village that stands in for Downton is Bampton. There are also some filming locations in nearby villages.
Bampton
Bampton is a village located in Oxfordshire in England’s beautiful Cotswolds region. There are some filming locations to see that are all in one little area of the village.
St. Mary the Virgin’s church in the village was renamed St. Michael’s and All Angels on the show. Both Crawley sister’s weddings were filmed inside the village church.
Bordering the churchyard is a private house that is used for outside shots as Isobel Crawley’s house. It is known as Churchgate House or the Old Bampton Rectory.
Adjacent to Churchgate House is the Bampton Library which stands in for The Cottage Hospital on the show in exterior shots. This building is where Dr. Clarkson worked treating villagers. You can buy Downton Abbey related books, postcards, etc. there.
Swinbrook
Very close to Bampton is the Swan Inn at Swinbrook. It is only two miles away from Burford. The Swan Inn was the exterior filming location of the pub where lady Sybil and Branson stayed while planning to elope.
The Swan Inn has outstanding meals and desserts. I highly recommend including it as a meal stop. Everyone in our group was with very pleased with their meal and we all ended up ordering sticky toffee pudding or Eton Mess as a dessert.
Shilton
Two miles south of Burford is Shilton. The Old Forge, next to Shill Brook was the public house in Downton Abbey. This is where Bates worked in season 2 for a stint. The 18th century hump-back bridge was also featured.
How to Get There
If traveling by car, the places I mentioned are not that far apart. Just a few miles from one place to the next. If you are comfortable driving in the U.K. this may be the option for you.
If you would rather someone else do the driving I can recommend another option. I did a van tour with 5 other friends through Cotswolds Adventures. You can pick the locations you would like to go or have him pick the spots. The guides are knowledgeable and professional. The owner of the company is fluent in Japanese, so if you are from Japan and a Downton Abbey Fan this may be the best tour for you. There are other guides this tour uses as well. You can view Cotswolds Adventures website here: https://www.cotswoldsadventures.co.uk
If you are a fan of Downton Abbey, it may be worth your while to stop in to Bampton and these other surrounding villages. Most tours do not stop at these villages so you won’t be dealing with crowds. They are just some of the many beautiful villages in the Cotwolds region.
Sharon's Iconic Travel Photography Blog 
This was on our list of things to see when we were there, but the castle was closed, and we didn’t have a car, so we just added a day in London instead. It all worked out, but next time maybe we will get to there!
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The town of Bampton is in the Cotswolds. It is a very picturesque region of England. I highly recommend either driving through several of the Cotswolds villages or staying there. Otherwise a specialized tour like the one we arranged is great as you can pick what locations you would like to go to. We went to Highclere Castle on another day. They don’t allow pictures inside. Possibly they were still filming the Downton movie when you went to England?
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We were in the Cotswolds for three days and did a bike tour one day, walking tour another, and a trip to Oxford on our third day. It was a beautiful region. But you can’t do everything….
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I know! That is why I keep going back. Ha !
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The castle and the village they used for outside shots are actually maybe 2 hours apart.
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Lovely post Sharon! I’ve always wanted to visit the Cotswolds! Now more than ever!
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A future walking tour I think you would be quite pleased with. Many lovely villages. It’s hard to see them all.
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