Highclere Castle Walks
This walk uses public footpaths to explore the extensive parkland surrounding this Stately home near Newbury. The house is now famous as the location for period drama 'Downton Abbey' and the comedy series 'Jeeves and Wooster'. There is a charge for visiting the house and it's immediate surrounding gardens but there are free public paths to take you through a large portion of the wider estate. This walk uses the Brenda Parker Way long distance footpath to take you through Highclere Park.
The walk starts from the car park south east of Highclere Castle off the A34. You have the option of first climbing Beacon Hill for great views over the estate. You then head to Old Burghclere where you turn north towards Whitway where you pick up the Brenda Parker Way. You then head west along the paths through Highclere Wood to Highclere Farm. This walk returns to Beacon Hill car park on the same paths but you could pick up the Wayfarer's Walk to turn it into a long circular walk. This would take you through the southern part of the estate.
You can also visit the castle grounds although this does require and admission fee. Here you will find beautiful gardens, serpentine paths, herbaceous borders, lakes and peaceful woodland trails. You can also tour the magnificent house which has been home to the Carnarvon family since 1679. The real Downton Abbey has fine state rooms including wonderful furntiture and artworks.
The walk can be extended by continuing west along the Wayfarer's Walk to Pilot Hill and Walbury Hill which are the highest points in Hampshire and Berkshire respectively.
Just north of Highclere you will find the National Trust owed Chase Nature Reserve. There's lots of nice woodland trails, pretty streams and flora and fauna to see here too.
Postcode
RG20 9RN - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locationsPlease click here for more information
Highclere Castle Ordnance Survey Map 
- view and print off detailed OS map
Highclere Castle Open Street Map 
- view and print off detailed map
Highclere Castle OS Map 
- Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking
Highclere Castle Open Street Map 
- Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking
Further Information and Other Local Ideas
Just north of Newbury you can visit the historic Donnington Castle and enjoy a walk around the attractive heathland of Snelsmore Common Country Park.
Cycle Routes and Walking Routes Nearby
Photos
.jpg)
Jackdaws Castle
In Highclere Wood within the estate. The wood is mainly conifers but quite thinly planted. This area of the wood is called Ivyhouse Copse on 1:25K map, but is bigger than expected for a copse. There is a footpath through.
Highclere Park. Typical parkland scenery within the Highclere estate. A magnificent specimen of a tree, one of a number around. They must have been growing here for centuries.
Sheep grazing in the park
This footpath, still in pasture following the edge of the wood, crosses a small stream on this footbridge
Highclere Castle - Built in 1777. 18th century Landscape gardens with historic Lebanon cedar (Cedrus libani) trees.
Folly in Grotto Copse. Not named on the map and nothing to indicate its purpose or who built it. However, the wood to the south is called Grotto Copse which may be relevant, and it is at the southern edge of Highclere Estate so may be an estate house.
Highclere estate chapel. This is within the Castle estate, but the gravestones seem to indicate that it fulfils (or used to fulfil) the role of a parish church. Yes, the angles are right; the church itself is on a slight hill so any picture will involve looking up at it. The tree to its left does lean at that angle, and poor Ann Moreton's headstone in the foreground does lean alarmingly the other way!