The West Oxfordshire village of Bampton became an unlikely tourist destination when it was chosen as a film set for the popular ITV period drama Downton Abbey, which ran for six series from 2010 to 2015.
As the series starring Hugh Bonneville and Maggie Smith gained popularity, a growing number of tourists from all over the globe would take a tour of the village.
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Other actors who appeared in the series included Lily James, Michelle Dockery and Jim Carter.
Hugh Bonneville right Picture Nick Briggs
Fans came from the United States, Holland and Australia, with pubs, cafes, B&Bs and shops all benefitting from the influx in trade and even the village library starting selling Downton memorabilia.
Villagers welcomed the Emmy award-winning show, which attracted millions of viewers and focused on the the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their domestic servants in the post-Edwardian era.
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While Highclere Castle was the real home of Downton Abbey, many village scenes were filmed in Bampton.
Downton scenes were filmed in Bampton
Robin Shuckburgh, chairman of preservation society Bampton Archive, said in 2012: “We are getting five coaches a week at the moment.
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“Bampton has become the centre of a media storm. It really is quite fun.
“The worry of course is if it scales up but Bampton will cope. It is an extremely innovative place."
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