Highclere

For other uses, see Highclere (disambiguation).

Highclere (pronounced /ˈhaɪklɪər/) is a village and civil parish in the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Hampshire, England, in the northern part of the county, near the Berkshire border. It is famous as the location of Highclere Castle, a Victorian house of the Earl of Carnarvon, and the setting for films and TV series including Downton Abbey.

Highclere
Parish church of St Michael and All Angels, Highclere
Highclere Location within Hampshire
Population	1,606 (2011 Census including Woolton Hill)[1]
OS grid reference	SU4384060837
District	Basingstoke and Deane
Shire county	Hampshire
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	NEWBURY
Postcode district	RG20
Dialling code	01635
Police	Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Fire	Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Ambulance	South Central
UK Parliament	North West Hampshire
List of places UK England Hampshire 51.344935°N 1.371955°W / 51.344935; -1.371955

History and buildings

The parish church of St Michael and All Angels sits between Highclere Castle and the main part of the village. This 'new' church (1870s) replaced a much older church sited adjacent to Highclere Castle, and parish records go back to pre-Norman times.

There is a pub, the Red House, a flourishing village hall and a private junior ('Prep') school, Thorngrove. The church parish is part of the North West Hampshire Benefice (with Ashmansworth, Crux Easton, East Woodhay and Woolton Hill). The civil parish of Highclere has two wards, Highclere and Penwood.

"Highclere Holly" (Ilex altaclerensis) was first identified here and still flourishes in local woodlands.

According to local legend there used to be a grampus living in a yew tree in the churchyard of the Highclere Estate Chapel.^[2]

On 22 August 1213, King John stayed at Peter des Roches the Bishop of Winchester's manor at Highclere, then called Bishop's Clere.^[3] An itinerary of King Edward II lists him as spending 2 September 1320 there.^[4]