Secrets of Highclere Castle

The castle keeps most of its secrets
This is a beautiful film, but none-the-less it left me somewhat disappointed. I had ordered it hoping to see the 95 percent or so of the castle and estate that you never see on Downton Abbey. After watching the DVD, that unseen portion has dropped to maybe 90 percent. I'm still wondering what nearly all of the rooms in that massive building look like - you only get to see a few that aren't used in the show. I wonder what relics might lie hidden in the huge, rambling attics and cavernous cellars. I speculate about the massive brick structure attached to the rear of the castle. Never saw THAT in the TV series! What the heck's in there?

I wonder if there are any hidden pasageways or secret rooms in the castle? How on earth do they heat the place and where did the power and water come from before modern utilities? What are some of today's maintenance challenges? Are there still farms on the estate? What do they grow?

Perhaps the current owners didn't want to...

A Must for Downton Fans
I saw this special when it aired on PBS this year and greatly enjoyed seeing the ins and outs of the workings of the modern day castle and hearing from it's current occupants. You are shown the rooms so familiar from the Downton Abbey series and learn the history of this beautiful estate.

Short and semi-sweet
i was disappointed in the length of this DVD - it's only about an hour long. It was interesting, but certainly not fascinating.

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