Standing tall on the horizon, Highclere Castle cuts an extraordinary figure when you see it in real life. An architectural wonder sitting at the heart of 430 hectares of historic British countryside, it has been the silent co-star of Downton Abbey for six seasons of television – a total of 52 episodes – and now three feature films.

As the last of those – Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale – takes its bow, the audience is facing an unthinkable moment: saying goodbye to a beloved franchise that has, at its peak, been seen by more than 120 million people globally, and drawn in about $US300 million in box office revenue.

Behind the numbers is the story of a family, headed by Robert Crawley, the 5th Earl of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville), a patriarchal figure noted for his kindness and generosit

See Full Page