VILLAGERS awoke yesterday to find stars from the hit period drama Downton Abbey had returned to film the fourth series.

Spotted in Bampton were Lesley Nicol, who plays the cook Beryl Patmore, Jim Carter, in costume for his role as the butler Charles Carson, and widower of Lady Sybil, Allen Leech, who plays Tom Branson.

Jim Carter’s wife Imelda Staunton, best known for her comedy TV series Up the Garden Path, was on set supporting her husband.

It is the first time the cast have been in the village since Hugh Bonneville, who plays Lord Grantham, walked into St Mary’s Church in May in what was thought to be the upcoming funeral scene of his nephew Matthew Crawley.

The village library and church have both featured as backdrops in the popular ITV period drama since 2010. Series four, set in the 1920s, is scheduled to be screened next month.

The cast were filming at St Mary’s Church yesterday and are there again today.

Glynis Drysdale, landlady of The Romany in Bridge Street, said two of the film crew were staying at the pub.

She said: “We don’t have any of the stars and we don’t really know what it is all about. Everything is very secret. “We had ABC News here last week to film a piece on the show for America.”