Downton Abbey (Highclere Castle)

Downton Abbey is a British historical drama television series that followed the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their domestic servants at the fictional Downton Abbey estate. Set in the early 20th century, the series explored the social, political, and personal changes affecting both the upper and lower classes in England.

Following a 6 season TV show and two successful movies comes the next entry into the franchise- a lego set! The inspiration for this build came from my parents who are huge fans of the show, and it gave me an opportunity to test my master builder skills!

The build consists of just under 3,000 pieces, standing at an impressive 2,750.

Each of the 3 levels is decorated.

The Exterior of the house was made using over 200 masonry brick pieces to add texture to what would have otherwise been a boring face, all in some variation of the color tan.

The Grounds of the build is roughly 10 inches long and 30 inches wide, and feature over 500 round tiles to make up the gravel driveways to give some variety to the grounds.

The Interior of the build is furnished with some details. The furnishings in each bedroom is represented by a printed tile of a bed and a bag of clothes, to fit with the small scale.

Level One contains a dining hall, a fireplace, a painting.

Level Two contains 2 bedrooms, each with some unique furnishes. The middle of this level opens up to see the floor below.

Level Three contains 2 more bedrooms, with the middle also being left open to see the floors below.

The Roof contains a skylight to see into the build, and let natural light in. It also features the signature tall (according to the show, used for storing luggage) tower, which employs some clever techniques to replicate the windows being set back into the brick and give it some variety and texture.

The Characters included in this set are: Lord Grantham, Lady Grantham, Dowager Countess of Grantham and Mary Crawley. Each of these characters were designed using strictly purist pieces and prints and the parts available in Stud.io. I made a display stand for them to be placed on, themed to fit with Downton and its colors. I have also included a microfigure for each character (and ones that weren't included due to limitations) that can be added to the interior- to be more size accurate to the build.

Why This Set? I made this set because my parents love the show, and it gave me an opportunity to test my skills as a builder. This set is definitely a must have for any fans of the show, or of the castle itself, which I think is a selling point- its dual functionality- it can be either Downton Abbey or Highclere Castle!

Please support this project! This took me so many long nights and dozens of hours to put together and design. I’m not complaining of course- spending any time with Lego is the dream! I'd just love to see this put on a shelf!