Everything you need to know about Highclere Castle History Festival with Viking
Best known as the filming location of Downton Abbey, Highclere Castle in Hampshire also hosts an annual history festival – and this year Viking is sponsoring a reader award at its grand finale. The countess of Carnarvon, godmother of a Viking Longship and a Viking ocean ship, tells us more...
Is there a theme for 2024’s Highclere Castle History Festival? Yes, we will explore life between 1939 and 1945 and commemorate World War Two and the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
What can visitors expect from the festival this year? There will be a variety of speakers, Second World War reenactments on the lawn, vintage car displays and games such as croquet and badminton.
There will also be an opportunity to listen to 1940s-themed singers and learn how to swing dance.
Will the castle be open to visitors?Yes, guests can tour the castle at their leisure. Our Egyptian exhibition will be open too; it tells the story of the fifth Earl of Carnarvon’s excavations on the West Bank of Luxor from 1905, and the extraordinary discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922 by the fifth Earl and Howard Carter.
A shrine room displays astonishingly exact and beautiful replicas of the shrine, middle coffin, mummy and iconic death mask of the boy pharaoh.
Can you share more on the Highclere Castle Book Readers’ Awards?We’re pleased to have Viking’s support for the awards this year. The Highclere Castle Book Readers’ Awards invite readers to review a memorable or inspiring book of their choice from one of five categories: travel, biographies, history, novels and children’s books.
We’re looking forward to reading through all the entries and then celebrating with the winner at the festival’s finale evening on 6 October. The winner of each category will be presented with £500, while five runners up will each take home £100.
The Highclere Castle History Festival sponsored by Viking will take place on October 5 and 6. To buy tickets, please visit highclerecastleshop.co.uk
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About Sarah Riches
After a five-year stint living in Asia, Sarah was inspired to become a travel journalist. Sarah has freelanced for Condé Nast Traveller and National Geographic Traveller and is the author of London Almanac (2010) and Culture Smart! The Essential Guide to British Customs & Culture (2024). She was also the deputy editor of Time Out Abu Dhabi, Where London and London Planner, digital editor of Wanderlust – the UK’s oldest travel magazine.
