Downton Abbey’s 10 most popular filming locations in the UK you can visit - and two of them are here in Yorkshire

Downton Abbey is back with a new sequel to the first movie released in 2020 and fans can expect the return of some series regulars like Hugh Bonneville as Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, Dame Maggie Smith as Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham and Yorkshire’s own Joanne Froggatt, who portrays Anna Bates.

The much-loved series has been filmed all over the country since it first aired in 2010. With new research from Betfair Casino, these are the public’s most popular locations.

Hampshire’s Highclere Castle took first place with 54,212 Instagram hashtags and 327,000 followers, Northumberland’s Alnwick Castle came in second place with 53,919 hashtags and 21,000 followers and Wiltshire’s Lacock Village came in third place with 51,919 hashtags and 4,280 followers.

Two of Yorkshire’s historic estates also made the list; West Yorkshire’s Harewood House took fifth place with 39,346 hashtags and 15,500 followers and Rotherham’s Wentworth Woodhouse, South Yorkshire, came in 10th place with 9,385 hashtags and 10,300 followers.

Below is the full list.

1 - Highclere Castle, Hampshire

Fans will instantly recognise this location as Downton Abbey on screen and with the majestic grounds used for both exterior and interior scenes throughout the series and the upcoming movie, it has been crowned the most popular filming location.

2 - Alnwick Castle, Northumberland

With tours for Downton Abbey fans, Alnwick Castle is best known as Brancaster Castle in the show, owned by the Marquess of Hexham and was featured in two Christmas specials for the series.

3 - Lacock Village, Wiltshire

This village of Lacock is a National Trust treasure and Downton Abbey fans will recognise it from scenes in series six that took place in a livestock market. The village is set to be featured regularly in the upcoming movie.

4 - Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire

This location was used to shoot the exterior shots of Haxby Hall, a neighbouring estate to the Crawley family in series two of Downton Abbey. It has 44,798 hashtags and 32,500 followers.

5 - Harewood House, West Yorkshire

This Yorkshire country house with grand gardens and a majestic exterior was used in scenes in the first Downton Abbey movie, where Lord and Lady Grantham’s neighbours host a ball.

6 - Beamish Museum, Beamish

Beamish Museum is an open-air venue located in County Durham and has been a key location for filming, especially for the first Downton Abbey movie. It has 39,251 hashtags and 49,700 followers.

7 - Lincoln Castle, Lincolnshire

Lincoln Castle was used as York Prison where John Bates, played by Brendan Coyle, was incarcerated after being accused of murdering his ex-wife in season three. It has 30,134 hashtags and 8,749 followers.

8 - Bampton Village

This quaint Oxford village was the backdrop for the period drama and features heavily throughout the series with Churchgate House featuring as the home of Isobel Crawley. It has 14,915 hashtags.

9 - Inveraray Castle, Argyll, Scotland

Inveraray Castle made its debut in the 2012 Christmas special of Downton Abbey when the Grantham family travelled up to Scotland to visit the Marquess of Flintshire. It has 12,104 hashtags and 7,578 followers.

10 - Wentworth Woodhouse, Rotherham, South Yorkshire

Though this stunning estate has a breathtaking exterior view, the stately home of Wentworth Woodhouse was actually used for its magnificent interiors and many of the inside ballroom scenes in the first movie were filmed here.