Latest news with #Bampton
Telegraph
05-08-2025
- General
- Telegraph
Dog rescued after four days trapped in badger sett
A dog has been rescued after it became stuck in a badger sett for four days. Multiple attempts to rescue Sherlock, a Lakeland terrier, involved gamekeepers, the fire service, drones and other dogs wearing trackers. Mandy McGrath, Sherlock's owner, was on a walk at Bampton's Ridgeway Woods, near Carlisle, when the dog chased a rabbit, and headed out of sight. The four-year-old dog ran into a badger sett, and ended up 6 feet below ground, where it remained for four days until it was rescued with the help of a dog called Shrek. Mike McGrath, Mandy's husband, told The Telegraph that they initially believed Sherlock may have just run off chasing something 'a little more interesting than a stick'. However, they began to think Sherlock was underground when his collar GPS lost signal. A search ensued, explained Mr McGrath, and they discovered 'a number of holes, maybe four' which they realised were 'entrances to a large badger sett'. The community were quick to lend a hand, with Sherlock's half brother, George, being deployed in an attempt to 'sniff out' the dog. A drone was sent up to scan the area and scent dogs were used, but as time went by, the McGrath's became more convinced that Sherlock was underground. With the help of a local gamekeeper, the couple contacted the RSPCA to check if the badger sett was empty. As, if it was clear, it would enable them to call the fire service for assistance. The local fire service also got involved with thermal imaging cameras to try and see if Sherlock was underground, but had no luck locating the dog. Next to help, gamekeepers sent another terrier into the inactive sett, wearing a tracker that Mr McGrath said was 'similar to the ones they use in avalanches', which would enable those on the surface to see where the dogs were inside the sett. Mr McGrath said that watching the search go on for a number of days left him with a 'sense of despair'. He added: 'I couldn't help, I couldn't do anything'. He explained that the help of the gamekeeper, who dug another hole nearby Sherlock's last known location, was likely vital to keeping the dog alive. Mr McGrath told the BBC: 'Had that not been done, we might have been too late because of the tightness of the hole.' He said he believes Sherlock likely got stuck in the hole when chasing a rabbit, and became unable to turn around and exit. The eventual rescue, on day four of the search, was prompted by Gordon Bottomley, a volunteer with the North Yorkshire Fell and Moorland Working Terrier Club. Mr Bottomley brought ten of his thirteen dogs to the Carlisle woodlands and he sent his own terrier, named Shrek, into the sett. Those on the surface heard two dogs barking, indicating that Shrek had found Sherlock, and Gordon dug down into the sett to retrieve the missing dog. Mr Bottomley told the BBC: 'To see someone's beloved pet come out and their reaction – the grin was from ear to ear.' He explained: ' The terrier is the only dog that will go below ground and seek out vermin and that's why, over hundreds of years, they've been bred for that purpose.' Mr McGrath said the effort of their community had been 'extraordinary', adding: 'You suddenly find out just how interested people are in helping, particularly those who've got dogs and are familiar with the kind of feelings you might have.' Sherlock is now back home, and Mr McGrath said the dog is doing 'much better now'.
BBC News
24-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
SEND intern urges others to "dream big" after job success
"Yes it may be scary, yes you may get knocked down, but eventually you will find a place that wants you."That is the message Sorcha Calvert wants to give to other young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) after she secured paid employment in the hospitality 20-year-old, from Bampton, has dyslexia and dyspraxia, and got her foot in the door at her dream job after a supported programme, run by Oxfordshire County Council, has helped 38 young people this year, with more than half going on to paid employment. For Sorcha, working at a hotel was something she had long hoped for after facing difficulties with learning at school. "I've actually loved catering since I was at school," she said."So I would do all the hospitality events at school with my best friend and she was the one who kind of pushed me to try something new."There have been challenges, but Sorcha's been supported by colleagues at the Leonardo Royal Hotel Oxford, and secured paid work there after her internship."Of course learning with money was very difficult for me because I would mix my numbers backwards," she said."So the team here have been really lovely and have helped me understand and process payments through the till - and they're always there to help if I need it." Anna McInnes, General Manager of the Leonardo Royal Hotel Oxford, said they look for attitude over qualifications when said: "I do a lot of school events and the first question is 'what qualifications do you need?'"Qualifications help with lots of different things."But the main thing for hospitality is having that passion."If you've got the passion we want to hire you - and we can adapt things, we can change things, we can support you."The supported internship programme is open to those with an active Education, Health and Care is funded by Abingdon & Witney College and Activate College and involves a mix of tuition and work helped Sorcha realise her ambitions - and she says other young people with special educational needs should not give up on their dreams."If you really want something and you're dreaming big - just go for it and put yourself out there," she added. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
The Sun
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Our village was made famous by huge TV show – now busloads of brash tourists block our driveways… nowhere's off-limits
RESIDENTS of a town made famous by a hit TV show have hit out at brazen tourists who peer through their windows and block their driveways. Bampton in Oxfordshire was made famous by the hit period piece with several locations across the village used in filming. 5 5 Locals have said the town, which features in Downton Abbey, has become a magnet for tourism and now attracts thousands of brash visitors a year. Some residents told the Telegraph that the tourism has made them a small fortune and helped to improve local amenities. Others have slammed the tourists, demanding their quant village be freed of "brash American accents." Residents of Bampton have told horror stories of their encounters with tourists. Locals have been subjected to selfie-sticks appearing at bedroom windows, tourists wandering into their back gardens and buses blocking up narrow streets. Guided tours of the village are offered to fans of the hit show with some charging as much as £500. Busloads of fans are taken around the small village to visit filming locations made famous by the British drama series. Local shop owners have claimed at one point they were making £1,000 a day from the tourists. The thousands of pounds raised from visiting TV fans has been used to fund renovation works to buildings. Local services have also been improved using the massive wealth brought into the community. Despite all this locals still hit out saying they've had enough of nosey tourists peering in their windows and obstructing their driveways. One resident told The Telegraph: "My friend overheard a tour guide say that Bampton was nothing before Downton Abbey. "Let me tell you – Bampton was a beautiful, expensive place to live long beforehand." 'I live on the main square and they often stand in my driveway. They just go everywhere.' The small village was used for several scenes in the hit show which ended ten years ago. 5 5 5 Even though it has been a decade since the last episode of the original series was aired tourists still flock to Bampton. Locations including St Mary's Church and the Manor House, home to Mrs Crawley in the show, can be found in the small village. The main set for the historical drama, Highclere Castle, is forty miles away. The tiny village has a population of just 2,500 and plays host to two coffee shops, a butcher, a deli, a charity shop, an art gallery, antique store and garden centre. Residents claim that visitors spend most of their time and money in a few select locations, bringing no benefit to the rest of the town. A resident told The Telegraph: "They contribute to the library, but apart from that they don't have enough time. 'We are better off with individual travellers, with families in cars – not the buses. There's so much more to Bampton than Downton Abbey.' The Community Hub receives shedloads of support but according to locals the other shops and businesses are left to fend for themselves.
Daily Mail
05-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Village divided over Downton Abbey tourism boom: Locals where hit show is filmed hit out at visitors with 'brash American accents' - but others admit series has made them a 'small fortune'
Angry villagers have hit out at Downton Abbey fans with 'brash American accents' for invading their rural idyll - while conceding the show has brought in a 'small fortune'. Residents in Bampton in Oxfordshire, used in filming for many of the period drama's scenes both on the small and big screen, have been speaking out about its impact. Some have welcomed the lucrative money from tourists flocking to the place used as an outdoor location standing in for the fictional community of Downton. The franchise was created and written by Julian Fellowes, featuring stars including Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery, Joanne Froggatt, Elizabeth McGovern, Dame Imelda Staunton and the late Dame Maggie Smith. Others, however, are more critical about being 'over-run' by visitors who 'stand on their drives' and annoy with their noise when turning up to pay tribute to the location. Downton Abbey ran for six series between 2010 and 2015, on ITV in the UK and PBS in the US, and has also been adapted for movies. The third silver screen instalment The Grand Finale scheduled for release this September. The series began filming in Bampton's cobbled streets in 2010 - and soon made the village a magnet for tourists from across the world. The boom in visitors has split the village - with some locals crediting it for generating a 'small fortune' from 'old biddies stuffed with cash' buying merchandise - with the money used to improve local buildings and services. But other residents of the quaint village say they want their 'front drives free from brash American accents'. Busloads of US visitors, fascinated by the historical drama's depiction of early 20th century Britain, often come armed with cameras and selfie sticks to Bampton. They tour sites such St Mary's Church, which hosts weddings, christenings and funerals in the show's fictional village. Sightseers choosing to take a guided tour around Bampton and other Downton Abbey locations can be set back as much as £500 each. One elderly volunteer at Bampton Community Hub, used to depict the Downton Cottage Hospital on screen, has now told how the charity's not-for-profit shop was at one point making £1,000 a day from visitors. It sells a range of Downton goods - including books, snow globes and hats - and has a life-size cut-out of Bonneville, 61, who plays Robert Crawley, 7th Earl of Grantham. The volunteer said: 'It has made us a small fortune. Hundreds of thousands of pounds - we've had thousands and thousands and thousands of visitors.' Its popularity with visitors has helped the community fund reconstruction of its buildings, including the Old Grammar School. And those welcoming the boosts say the Downton effect has helped improve services such as a village library, an exhibition space and a community archive. The volunteer added: 'It is mostly Americans. The elderly ladies helping run the little shop at first didn't know what to do with all the dollars and other foreign currencies that began filling the till. 'It saved our library. It enabled us to restore the interior building. Upstairs we have a social hub - we do events free of charge for the villagers.' Other Bampton locals, however, are more critical of the town's association with the long-running franchise. Fabrizio Manerba, 62, said: 'My friend overheard a tour guide say that Bampton was nothing before Downton Abbey. 'Let me tell you - Bampton was a beautiful, expensive place to live long beforehand.' Mr Manerba described busloads of tourists arriving whatever the weather, adding: 'I live on the main square and they often stand in my driveway - they just go everywhere.' Di O'Brien, 73, described tourists coming 'at all times' with about 10 buses arriving per da at the town's peak popularity, with visitors lingering and posing for photographs. The local Post Office's owner Pankaj Grover, 40, attempted to downplay any tensions, saying: 'If someone comes in and asks me about Downton, I send them to the Community Hub. I'm not a competitor.' Describing his experience of moving to Bampton several months ago, Mr Grover also told of feeling 'surprised by the togetherness the village has'. He added: 'We are all one community,' he said, adding: 'They work for each other here. As the world gets more selfish, it's so surprising to find a village like this.' But across the road, Lynn Shuker, who works at Arthur's Attic antiques, said that while the Community Hub was making 'lots of money', the tourist hordes did less for local shops' fortunes. She said: 'They contribute to the library, but apart from that they don't have enough time. We are better off with individual travellers, with families in cars - not the buses.' And she insisted: 'There's so much more to Bampton than Downton Abbey.' Other locals said they preferred to keep out of the arguments over the show's impact and were more amused by all the fuss being made over the village. Amy Joyce, 33, and Lesley Pearce, 66, admitted to not watching the show and said: 'It's like us going down to London, I suppose - but in London you could go and see Tower Bridge.' Tanya Newland, 54, a resident born and raised in Bampton, meanwhile highlighted how there were opportunities to revel in the glamour of Downton's production sets. She was cast as an extra during the filming of some scenes, recalling: 'I was a villager. I had my hair done in ringlets and had make-up put on. 'I love the elegance behind the show, which I think we have lost in modern society - it was a lovely experience'. Among recent visitors to Bampton has been 65-year-old Kay Frith, 65, from York - almost 200 miles north of the Oxfordshire village. She told of being an avid Downton Abbey fan, with her favourite character being Lady Mary Crawley who is portrayed by Michelle Dockery, 43. Ms Frith said: 'She's feisty but also a bit cool and cold. She builds a wall around herself to protect herself. And she said of the show: 'It's a little bit of escapism, going back to a slower pace of life.' Locals in Bampton are not the only ones affected by visitors inspired by TV series and films such as the Downton Abbey instalments. The main venue used as the home in the series is, in real life, Grade I listed Highclere Castle in Hampshire, a sprawling manor and 5,000-acre estate owned by Lord and Lady Carnarvon. Stately homes across Britain have been experiencing surges in visitor interest off the back of programmes such as the hit Netflix show Bridgerton - with Google searches for its locations such as in west London, Berkshire and Hertfordshire shooting up by 23 per cent in 2022. Another venue that has hit the big screen - and then attracted viewers visiting in their multitudes - has been Drayton House in Northamptonshire, a focal point in 2023 movie Saltburn. Many rushed to the British countryside to take in the real 'Saltburn Mansion' featured in the film starring Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike, Richard E Grant and Carey Mulligan. Yet film fans now visiting the manor told of being let down to discover some of the most eye-catching rooms were not open to the public. Out of bounds is the bathroom which features in a key and controversial scene, when Keoghan's Oliver spies on Elordi's character Felix Catton having a bath, before enjoying himself in the empty tub as the water drains away. Other settings include rooms featured in the full-frontal final scene showing Keoghan's character Oliver Quick gyrating naked through the mansion to the sound of Sophie Ellis-Bextor's hit single Murder On The Dancefloor. Enthusiasts descended on Drayton House and the nearby town of Lowick, even though the stately home - owned by the Sackville family - is not generally open to the public. Yet select groups of locals have been offered tours - while many more fans flocked to the area to approach the grounds and admire the views. Among those managing to get inside was Maddie Bowness, 21, who worked at the Snooty Fox and met Fennell when cast and crew would stop in. She visited the mansion with her friends Jasmine Murray, 24, and 26-year-old Sally-Anne Harrison. Maddie, an art student from Lowick, said in January last year: 'I grew up in the village and it is amazing how much traffic the film has brought to the area. 'At the time of filming, a few of my friends were cast as extras and they had such a fun time. 'I was working in the village pub at the time and met a lot of the crew and some of the cast. Everyone in the village had positive things to say about it.' It is not just appearances in period dramas that can attract hordes of visitors to some of Britain's idyllic settings. The outdoor designer outlet retail centre of Bicester Village in Oxfordshire, which is marking its 30th anniversary, pulls in 7.3million shoppers every year. Many of them are big spenders from China lured in by bargain deals on big luxury brands, Mandarin-speaking staff and easy rail access from London.
Telegraph
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
‘Starring in Downton has made our village a small fortune'
Residents in the village where Downton Abbey is filmed have claimed the hit TV show has made it a 'small fortune'. Bampton in Oxfordshire has served as an outdoor location for the fictional community of Downton since 2010, becoming a magnet for tourists from around the world. The tourism boom has divided the village, with some saying it has generated a 'small fortune' that has helped to improve local buildings and services. But others say they want their 'front drives free from brash American accents'. Fans fascinated by the historical drama can pay as much as £500 each for a guided tour around Bampton and other Downton Abbey filming locations, and they often flock to St Mary's Church, which hosts weddings, christenings and funerals in the show's fictional village. One elderly volunteer at Bampton Community Hub, used to depict the Downton Cottage Hospital, claimed that at one point their charity shop was making £1,000 a day from visitors. The volunteer, who did not want to be named, said: 'It has made us a small fortune. Hundreds of thousands of pounds – we've had thousands and thousands and thousands of visitors'. The popularity with visitors has helped the community fund renovation work to buildings including the Old Grammar School and improve services such as a village library, an exhibition space and a community archive. The volunteer added: 'It is mostly Americans, the elderly ladies helping run the little shop at first didn't know what to do with all the dollars and other foreign currencies that began filling the till. ' It saved our library. Upstairs we have a social hub, we do events free of charge for the villagers.' Other Bampton villagers, however, are more sceptical of the town's association with the franchise. Fabrizio Manerba, 62, said: 'My friend overheard a tour guide say that Bampton was nothing before Downton Abbey. Let me tell you – Bampton was a beautiful, expensive place to live long beforehand.'' Mr Manerba described busloads of tourists arriving whatever the weather, saying: 'I live on the main square and they often stand in my driveway. They just go everywhere.' Lynn Shuker, who works at an antiques store in Bampton, said the busloads of tourists might support the Community Hub, but they don't contribute to other shops. She said: 'They contribute to the library, but apart from that they don't have enough time. 'We are better off with individual travellers, with families in cars – not the buses. There's so much more to Bampton than Downton Abbey.'
