April 22, 2025
Time to leave our nest in Swindon, and head to Highclere Castle, famous for being the location used for the hit PBS series Downton Abbey.
Now it was cool seeing the building sitting there as we approached, and the grounds and gardens were nice to walk around, but I have to say I was little disappointed with the tour of the house itself.
The no-photo policy was annoying too. After 52 TV episodes and 2 motion pictures, the excuse of “privacy for the family” was a little weak. No kitchen tour, no servants areas.
Still, it was a nice day. I also got a kick out of something I spotted on a map. We were right next to Watership Down, which I didn’t know was a real place. Even better, just south of Watership Down was the village of Efrafa. If you haven’t read the classic book Watership Down by Richard Adams I know that means nothing to you, but that is a book that I think should be required reading for all human beings.
