An Amazing World in My Eyes: Highclere Castle The Interior

Wooden doors leading into the gothic front entrance hall designed by Sir Gilbert Scott, who also designed the Midland Hotel at St Pancras and the Albert Memorial

Ground Floor

First Floor layout

This entrance hall leads into the saloon

Entrance-Hall pillars

Entrance Hall from Lady Carnarvon blog

View as you enter the saloon

Saloon at Highclere Castle

Highclere Castle's website calls the gothic-style saloon physically and socially the heart of the house, and reveals that the space was designed by Thomas Allom for the 4th Earl of Carnarvon in the 1860s


	Mandatory Credit: Photo by Ilpo Musto/Shutterstock (3442840e)	Highclere Castle, The Salon	Downton Abbey and Highclere Castle, Hampshire, Britain - Nov 2013	Highclere Castle is the location used for the TV series 'Downton Abbey'. Facing North in the Saloon toward the entrance

Saloon facing south no furniture

Saloon facing south furnished

Saloon facing North furnished

Saloon detail

Saloon facing east observe spanish leather lining walls around the fireplace

Saloon Detail – Spanish wall coverings made from embossed leather, circa 1680.

Saloon from the gallery on second floor facing south

The gallery walls are decorated in ancient Belgian tapestries and the crest you see all around the gallery is that of the Carnarvon family.

50-foot vaulted ceiling over saloon. Photo- Susan Lanier-Graham

Detail of saloon ceiling

The Great Oak Staircase at Highclere Castle

The Oak Staircase was designed by English architect and artist, Thomas Allom, who is also known for his work with Sir Charles Barry in designing the Houses of Parliament.

Stairs and hall facing south

The Great Oak Staircase at Highclere Castle. The painting on the wall is 'Mrs. Musters as Hebe, Cupbearer to the Gods' (1782) by Sir Joshua Reynolds

The painting on the wall is 'Mrs. Musters as Hebe, Cupbearer to the Gods' (1782) by Sir Joshua Reynolds on Great Oak Staircase Highclere Castle

The Belgian 18th century Meleager Tapestry. hanging above the Joshua Reynolds on the greta oak staircase HIghclere Castle

Staircase at Highclere Castle. facing east

Facing Saloon from Oak staircase

Staircase landing at Highclere Castle. facing north

Passage above saloon leading to the bedrooms

Panoramic of Library at Highclere Castle, facing south

Entrance into the Library from the North end of the room, Highclere Castle

Library at Highclere Castle Observe Napoleon's desk on lower left corner of picture

Napoleon's desk sits in the library at Highclere Castle. Photo- Susan Lanier-Graham

Napoleon's chair', designed by Jacob Freres, dating from 1803 and once in the Tuileries Palace in Paris Photo by: Matt Lloyd

The Library at Highclere Castle houses nearly 6,000 volumes standing in north alcove facing south.

The double library was in its heyday during the late Victorian period. At this time, it was used by the 4th Earl of Carnarvon as a "withdrawing" room. (Observe the coffered ceilings.)

Double Library at Highclere looking toward mantle. portrait of Henry, 1st Earl of Carnarvon (1741-1811) hangs over mantle

The Earl's desk is displayed in the castle’s library

The South wall of the Library at Highclere Castle

South wall of the Library at Highclere Castle facing the hidden door leading into the music room.

A hidden door leads from the library into the Music Room

The Hidden door on the south wall in the library at Highclere Castle open looking into the music room.

The door at the south end of the library going back into the Saloon (Observe detail in moulding around door). - photo from article in Architectural Digest

South end of Library looking toward salon


	Facing the west wall of Library		Mandatory Credit: Photo by Ilpo Musto/Shutterstock (3442840o)	Highclere Castle, The Library	Downton Abbey and Highclere Castle, Hampshire, Britain - Nov 2013	Highclere Castle is the location used for the TV series 'Downton Abbey'.

Highclere Castle, library facing north

There are over 5,600 books stored in Highclere’s library, with the earliest dating back to the 16th century.

A view of the Music Room in Highclere Castle facing south


	A view of the music room in Highclere Castle facing north toward the Library


	Dimensions of the Music Room at Highclere Castle


	The ceiling of the music room


	The beautiful music room ceiling was painted by Francis Hayman in 1740


		Ceiling in the music room


	Italian 16th-century tapestries hang in Highclere’s music room.


	Doors in the Music room going into the drawing room.(Observe the detail around the door molding and the paintings on the doors.)


	The music room's ceiling was painted by Francis Hayman


	The Music Room at Highclere Castle facing east toward the drawing room. (Observe Napoleon's desk and chair in corner.)


	View of the Music Room at Highclere Castle facing North East


	The Music Room at Highclere Castle set as a dining room. The room obviously functions in many different ways (This was not a room which appeared in The Downton Abbey series.)


	A rare photograph of Highclere's interior. appears to be the music room

Drawing Room at Highclere Castle.

The Drawing Room at Highclere Castle (Observe the gold gilding on ceiling.) Why the piano is in the Drawing Room and not the Music Room may be due to the 8th. Earl and Countesses personal preferences. The piano was not in the drawing room during the Downton Abbey series.

The drawing room boasts bright green wallpaper (Observe the painting above the mantle Painted by Sir William Beechey. Children of the 1st. Earl and Countess of Carnarvon 1795.)

Painted by Sir William Beechey. The Children of the 1st. Earl and Countess of Carnarvon 1795. Henry George Herbert Lord Porchester (3 June 1772 – 16 April 1833), Hon. Charles Herbert (1774–1808), Very Rev. Hon. William Herbert (1778–1847), Lady Frances Herbert (c. 1782–1830). Portrait hangs over the mantle in the Drawing Room at Highclere Castle.

Drawing Room of Highclere Castle facing west toward the Smoking Room

The drawing room at Highclere Castle most probably in 1922

Smoking Room at Highclere Castle facing South

The Smoking Room at Highclere Castle facing North. (This room was not used in the Downton Abbey series.)

Detail of Smoking Room at Highclere Castle. Facing East toward the Drawing room which door is open.

A view of the Smoking Room at Highclere Castle features pillows made from a very old and rare curtain fabric.

The State Dining Room at Highclere Castle. The room is dominated by Van Dyck's great equestrian portrait of Charles I. Either side are portraits of Carnarvon ancestors who took part in the civil war in England in the 1640’s. Facing East.

Found in the castle’s State Dining room are a series of portraits, including, most notably, the equestrian portrait of Charles I by Sir Anthony van Dyck

Dimensions of the State Dining Room at Highclere Castle


	Charles I with M. de St Antoine is an oil painting on canvas by the Flemish painter Anthony van Dyck, depicting Charles I on horseback, accompanied by his riding master, Pierre Antoine Bourdon, Seigneur de St Antoine. painted in 1633 in the Royal Collection at Buckingham Palace.		Another version is a 1635 copy in the collection of the Earl of Carnarvon, which can be seen in the State Dining Room of Highclere Castle.

The State Dining Room at Highclere Castle

State Dining Room Highclere Castle, Hampshire, England set for dinner

State Dining Room Highclere Castle, Hampshire, England

The south Wall in Dining Room at Highclere Castle The 1st, Earl Carnarvon in his parlimetary robes hangs over the Mantle

Portrait of Henry Herbert, 1st Earl of Carnarvon (1741-1811) by- Thomas Gainsborough

The Pink Room at HIghclere Castle The Countess's morning room

The Study at Highclere Castle

The Mercia Bedroom, with its 18th-century silk bed hangings, was the bedroom of Cora, the Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey - the Carnarvons use the front-facing Herbert Bedroom