Latest news with #BamptonCommunityHub
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Downton Abbey quaint village overwhelmed by tourists as residents divided
Downton Abbey, which initially ran on ITV before becoming a film series, has filmed in places such as Bampton in Oxfordshire, which was used as an outdoor location Residents of a village that was used in Downton Abbey are said to be divided over the tourism that its association with the ITV show brings to the community. It's been described as a "magnet" for visitors after its appearances on-screen. Bampton in Oxfordshire is among the filming locations from Downton Abbey, which ran for six seasons from 2010 to 2015. It's been followed by two films, which came out in 2019 and 2022, with a third set to be released later this year. The village is said to have been used as an outdoor location for the fictional Downton since 2010. Characters have been seen at St Mary's Church and other locations in Bampton, like its Community Hub, which appeared as a hospital. It has been reported that the community has attracted international visitors due to its role in the Downton Abbey franchise. According to the Telegraph though, the village is now divided over the tourism boom that it's generated. Some residents have said that it has generated a "small fortune" which has helped to improve buildings and services in the community. Others however have complained about tourists flocking to the area, with some visitors said to have even been found on resident's driveways whilst exploring. It's reported that guided tours of Bampton and other filming locations from the acclaimed TV show can cost as much as £500 each for visitors. The outlet adds that fans of the historical drama often visit St Mary's Church. A volunteer at Bampton Community Hub claimed that their charity shop was making £1,000 a day from visitors at one point. They told the outlet: "It has made us a small fortune." They continued: "Hundreds of thousands of pounds – we've had thousands and thousands and thousands of visitors." The tourism is said to have helped the community to fund renovation work. The financial impact has also reportedly supported the improving of services like the village library, an exhibition space and a community archive. Not everyone seems as keen on the amount of tourism that the village's connection to Downton Abbey has prompted. One resident said that tourists "just go everywhere" and said that they "often" stand on his own driveway. Another suggest that whilst they contribute to the library, they "don't have enough time" to support other venues in Bampton by visiting them. They said that the area is "better off" with families visiting in car, rather than bus tours. Bampton is just one of the locations used on the show. Highclere Castle in Hampshire features as the fictional Downton Abbey in the franchise. Lord Carnarvon said in 2015 that his property had become a "major tourist attraction" because of the show, adding: "It has been a wonderful thing for us."
Telegraph
3 days ago
- 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.'
