Downton Abbey and Village Tour by Coach

As it has always been, the health & safety of our guests and team members remains our highest priority. We are doing everything we can to ensure you travel safety and provide maximum flexibility as the situation around Covid-19 continues to evolve. We have officially been given the green light and Good to Go accreditation by Visit Britain & Visit England, so we can now operate safely keeping you & our team healthy throughout. WE have a detailed plan to do so, issued below:

Brit Movie Tours recognises their responsibility to ensure that staff & suppliers (as well as guests) comply with health & safety legislation and maximise the safety of our clients & staff in relation to Covid-19.

In brief, we are making sure that all vehicles are cleaned to the highest standards, that all staff are trained (and re-trained when emerging or evolving information determines) and are provided with the right knowledge and equipment to carry out their duties effectively. Our new protocols to keep you healthy during our tours include:

• Flexible booking options
• Full internal sanitation/cleaning of all coach and taxi vehicles used on our tours
• Social distancing rules & guidelines for walking tours
• Complete staff & guide training to implement new protocols
• Guides will ensure they are familiar with the most up-to-date public health guidelines and will adhere to these for the duration of the tour.
• Guides will maintain government-recommended social distancing between themselves and clients at all times. On tours where the group includes different households, guides will encourage and help clients to adopt appropriate social distancing between each other too.
• When guiding groups from different households, guides will follow government guidance to determine the maximum possible group size.
• Guides will avoid shaking hands or any other physical contact with clients.
• Guides will apply rigorous hygiene practices, including thoroughly cleaning and waiting for hands to dry before guiding, and use a personal hand sanitiser when this is not possible.
• If requested, guides will consider wearing a mask or visor.
• Guides will know where public toilets/hand-washing facilities/hand sanitiser points are available.
• Guides will ensure they are fully aware of sites’ visited on tour and any specific Covid-19 requirements and comply with them.
• Guides will be familiar with more crowded areas and will make best efforts to negotiate them, or if appropriate, avoid them.
• Where appropriate, guides will liaise with coach companies and private vehicle companies and drivers to ensure vehicles have been thoroughly sanitised.

The result is a sanitised attraction but certainly not a sanitised experience! You are here to enjoy our fabulous tours, discover new places & experience an authentic destination. We believe that our new introductions to hygiene/cleaning will allow you to enjoy your visit to the full.

We feel it vitally important to have a strict cleaning protocol in place and that this is transparent.

• Enjoy a full guided tour of Downton village and see the home of Lady Isobel Crawley and much more
• Watch episodes of Downton Abbey on the coach as you travel between locations
• See where memorable scenes from Downton Abbey were filmed inside the house

Departing in from central London, a mini coach will transport you across land and time, from the bustling modern city to the quaint, relaxing countryside. And, to make the trip a little more entertaining, you can enjoy some episodes of Downton Abbey as you travel.

After a short journey, you will arrive in Bampton, where many of the locations of Downton Village can be found. Here your guide will take you to some of the most iconic places from the show.

You will see St. Mary’s Church, the setting for many christenings, funerals, weddings, and not to forget the jilting of Lady Edith at the altar. You’ll also be brought to Churchgate House, recognisable as the residence of Isobel and Matthew Crawley.

From the village you will travel to Highclere Castle, the real-life Downton Abbey.

This Victorian-era manor boasts its own set of enthralling tales from throughout its 1,000-year history. Here you will have the chance to buy some lunch, or enjoy your own picnic on the castle’s sprawling grounds.

Afterwards, you will get the chance to explore the building using a self-guided information sheet. Re-live history as you walk through the library, music room, drawing room, morning room, staircase, saloon, dining room and the servant’s staircase.

The Downton Abbey and Village Tour by Coach gives you the perfect opportunity to retrace the footsteps of the Crawley family and their servants. What’s more, it allows you to indulge in an important and influential period in history. This is a great day out for any Downton Abbey fan, aristocratic or not!

A small group version of this tour is also available. For more details, please check out the Downton Abbey and Village Small Group Tour.