Last ever Christmas at Downton Abbey
By Carolyn Clayton, guest author
Golly gumdrops, the sixth and final series of Downton Abbey has come to an end. For mourning fans across the world (all 120 million of them) all that there is to look forward to is the Christmas special. Everyone is asking will Lady Edith finally get the happy ending she so deserves? Will Lady Mary find her heart and try to build bridges with her sister, and perhaps even be the instigator in getting Bertie back? Will Anna and Bates have the baby and happy ending they so long for? In just a couple of weeks, all will be revealed!
Producers have teased us that the last ever episode promises to serve up a lavish feast of love, loss, happiness and more heartbreak as the family and servants welcome in the new year. Not too much more heartbreak I hope! We know that Bertie Pelham’s mother will be making an appearance in the final episode and from what Bertie has told us, she will be a force to be reckoned with. Will she be another obstacle for Edith or will she be the one to ensure Edith gets her happy ending. Maybe Mary I do hope so!
The filming of the upcoming Christmas special took place over a week in Northumberland at Alnwick Castle (Bertie's Brancaster home) as well as the iconic Ritz hotel in London. Since the series began, diehard fans have been flocking to England to walk in the shoes of the Lords and Ladies by visiting Downton Abbey (Highclere Castle) and the charming village of Bampton (Downton Village). Taking a stroll around Bampton in the charming Oxfordshire countryside is like stepping back in time and it's easy to see why they chose this filming location.
Some of the iconic scenes were filmed in London and you can go on a Downton Abbey location tour of London with Brit Movie Tours. On this 4 hour tour, you get to see world famous sites as well as quaint historic streets where parts of Downton were filmed. As well as visiting beautiful spots in the heart of our capital city, you get to learn how these locations were used for Downton Abbey and hear anecdotes and behind-the-scenes information about how the show was made. You can get to see the exterior of Grantham House which is where we meet Uncle Harold for the first time. You can see the spot where Lady Rose is spotted on a date with Jack Ross, the jazz singer, and you can visit the hotel where Lady Mary and Lord Gillingham had their secret liaison. You can also stand on the spot where Branson first confesses his love to Lady Sybil which is one of my favourite scenes.
Brit Movie Tours runs a number of Downton Abbey Tours, some for just a few hours, others run for a couple of days. It just depends how long you have and how much you want to see. Those that want a more private and personal VIP Downton Abbey tour can book a private tour. Those that want to see both the London locations as well as explore the pictureseque Cotswold villages in Oxfordshire can go on a 2 day tour. Click here to see all the Downton tours which Brit Movie Tours offer.
Sunday evenings will certainly not be the same without the Crawley family. No doubt the Christmas special will be a huge hit which I hope propels Julian Fellowes into writing a Downton Abbey film. Now that would be really exciting and something for diehard fans to look forward too!
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