Making a day out of visiting Highclere Castle (Downton Abbey)
 

I have tickets to visit Highclere in Sept., and I'm starting to think about the plan for the day. We will be staying in London for a week, and this will be our only day out of the city. It sounds like train & taxi is the way to do this, and I'm fine with just doing that and going back to London, but I thought I'd see if there is something else out that way to make a day of it, keeping in mind we will not be driving.

Well -- you could visit Donnington Castle

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/v...ington-castle/

Or walk along the Kennet & Avon Canal

Or you could always take the train from Newbury to Oxford - but it takes an hour.

Or if you are visiting the 18th/19th you could go to the Newbury races.

Highclere (the house) is pretty run of the mill as stately homes go, but it's in lovely countryside, with lots of footpaths, both on the house's estate and in the surrounding very gentle hills.

The Carnarvons are unusually forthcoming (http://www.highclerecastle.co.uk/abo...he-estate.html ) about local walking opportunities: most similar houses keep quiet, lest us oiks use the paths to sneak into their grounds.

Otherwise, there's little more than pretty scenery. The one major sight nearby is the Sandham Memorial Chapel in Burghclere (http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sand...=1356308615045 ): a truly rare (almost unique) example of a British church covered in really serious, world-class, painting: a modern Anglican small-scale equivalent of the Sistine Chapel.

It is walkable from Highclere Castle, but you might find it easier to get a taxi to take you back to Newbury station via Sandham. Visits to the chapel need to be pre-booked. There's a decent pub in Burghclere (http://www.carpentersarms-burghclere.co.uk/)

Thanks to both of you.

I'll have a look at the possibilities and see if they work for us.

Just checking my info:

It looks like there is no advantage to buying London to Newbury train tickets in advance, correct?

AFAIK -- no advantage at all. Last minute fares will be the same as advance purchased.