Highclere Castle and Afternoon Tea – Sounds dreamy, right? Especially if you are a fan of the show Downton Abbey.
So when we noticed we’d be able to not only visit the grounds, but get a peek inside PLUS have afternoon tea there, we jumped at the chance and put down our 85 pounds each {$110 USD} for a look around.
When you travel, you really want to get the most out of your vacation time {and dollars}. Not being a local, you really have to rely heavily on {and weed through} online reviews.
The value or experience one person sees in something, may not be the same as someone else sees. Which, I think, can be interesting.
The outside of the castle was stunning. The color of the stone, the carvings, and the clean lines of the castle were absolutely beautiful.
Sadly, because the castle is a private residence, there were no photographs allowed inside. One thing I did notice right away though was that what you see on the television show Downton Abbey and what you see in person is very different.
The size of the rooms {especially the library, dining room and grand hall/staircase} were much smaller than what you would expect from watching the show.
The furnishings, draperies and general appearance of the place {especially the bedrooms} were rather faded and worn, which was a surprise.
Yes, the castle was built in 1679 and is in use as a private residence, and the upkeep of the castle and the 5,000 acre estate in general is obviously a massive undertaking. But still, the size of the rooms on the tour and the condition of tapestries and upholstery was a bit of a surprise.
A bit of cinematic trickery was involved, that’s for sure. It was interesting.
The entrances and exits were all beautiful. Oodles of potted plants and the grounds were well manicured. The outdoor setting would be an absolute dream venue for a grand wedding or gala.
After a tour of the castle, and a bit more walking around outside, we headed to The Coach House for our afternoon tea reservation.
Tea was held in the upstairs of the building. As with the inside of the castle, the tea room also had a lot of photographs of different scenes from the Downton Abbey series.
Our afternoon tea tier. We never did find out exactly what we were given as our waiter simply dropped off our teapot, then our food and disappeared without saying a word. He didn’t even circle back once the entire time we were seated.
We could tell we were given coronation chicken, salmon and egg salad sandwiches. But neither of us knew what the fourth sandwich was.
In short, we both thought the afternoon tea was a bust and left something to be desired. We left quite a bit of food on our plates.
The teapot was dirty too. I guess with such a captive audience, they don’t have time to clean the pots between {multiple} uses.
But what do I know? I’m just a girl who’s been to a wide range of afternoon teas. They don’t all have to be grand, but good food, attentive staff and cleanliness go a long way.
The castle itself and the grounds however, were incredibly beautiful and well worth the visit. I’m glad we went, it was fun to see the reality of the place vs what has been portrayed on television.
Highclere Castle and its grounds are indeed a magical place full of grandeur, lovely walking paths, orchards, and gardens. I can only imagine what it might look like with a dusting of snow. 🙂
~Mavis
TRACEY B LEDGER says
GOOD GRIEF – teabags!!!
Mavis Butterfield says
Yep.
Marianne says
That was my first reaction too! Not a proper tea by any means. And the fourth sandwich looks like egg salad with cress
Elizabeth says
Bags of tea vs actual loose leaf. And a dirty teapot for £85?!? Clutches pearls!!! I adore reading your posts and am so thankful you posted about this experience. My bff and I had it on our agenda. Now, not so much.
Brianna says
I am repulsed by the inside of the teapot. It isn’t even that hard to clean. I can only imagine the odd flavor of the tea sludge and grittiness you tasted. Not only is it unsightly and gross, it could be a health hazard. Yuck!
Cheryl says
I live in Pennsylvania and my daughter and I have had a couple of afternoon teas. That is a disgrace both with the food and tea. The cost was outrageous.
christa says
I visited Highclere in 2018–a long day trip that included the town of Bampton and Cogges Manor Farm, both used in Downton Abbey, and it remains one of the most enjoyable days out of the many trips I’ve taken.
Heather says
That is a shame. I feel a lot of places that have had an upstanding reputation unfortunately ride on that and let things slide. The quality, attention to detail, good staff, etc. declines yet sadly people keep coming based on past positive reviews. The grounds and castle do look beautiful, glad you got to experience them and enjoy. As you have said, remain calm and carry on! Enjoy the rest of your trip.
Lindi Turnipseed says
Mavis I hope there was a place there to leave comments and that you DID leave a comment on both the food and the cleanliness of the teapot! and the use of teabags instead of loose tea!!!! and for that price?????? Yikes!!!!!!!
Cari says
As a general rule, I don’t believe that Brits wash their teapot like some do in North America. They simply rinse them out with water, allowing them to “season“, kind of like a cast-iron pot. My teapot in Canada is almost black with the spirits of tea parties gone by.
Hi, too, was surprised by the teabags. And the sandwiches and other offerings looked a bit haphazard as well. Too bad it wasn’t perfect.
Gardengoddess42 says
Yes, I agree about the ‘seasoning’ of the teapot. I don’t think our family teapot ever got more than a rinse out. Soap would have ruined the taste of the tea!
Something else to think about is the careful conservation of decades or even century old furnishings and fixtures, rather than replacing them.
Dianne Labadie says
How disappointing for you and Jen. I would expect so much more from a famous place. I wonder if this is due to lack of employees as we are experiencing since Covid closed down the world. Not an excuse at all, but could be part of the problem. The teapots! Yuck! Tea bags?
Mary says
Both my parents and my in laws were tea drinkers. And my mother in law would have slayed anyone who washed the tea pot. It was expected to be “seasoned”
Sue says
Yes, different people opt for different experiences. It’s…kind of always the way it’s been?
The tea didn’t look posh, that’s for certain. That pot–oof! Tea does build up and does have to be bleached off, but those pots haven’t seen a swish from a soapy brush in a looooong time. I’m familiar with seasoning cast iron pans, but I had no idea teapots were supposed to be “seasoned” with the teas of years past as well. Gag!
Still, 85 pounds for the tour of Highclere doesn’t seem too excessive.
The nobility don’t buy furnishings, they inherit from centuries past. Those shabby furnishings and draperies probably have more impressive pedigrees than most people.
Ess says
Did you get to visit the Egyptian exhibit?
JulieP says
Mavis you must review and make those comments public. The problems will not be addressed otherwise and I’m sure they would rather know. It’s a shame that you’ve had a bad experience and they need to get it right. You came a long way to my country to visits the castle and part of your day has been less than it should have been! Trustpilot for the good bad and the ugly. I’m sure you’ll get a response from the people who run/manage the cafe
Pat says
One summer when I was in college, many years ago, I worked for an Army major at Fort Knox who always drank tea. When he was away for a day, two of us scrubbed his tea mug clean. It had looked like sludge, no white was showing through. When he came back, you would have thought we’d killed his first born. He’d weathered that mug for years and we had ruined it!!!