Basildon Park, Lower Basildon, Reading

Basildon Park, Lower Basildon, Reading

This Georgian mansion surrounded by parkland, was rescued by Lord and Lady Iliffe in the mid 1950s. They restored the elegant interior and scoured the country for 18th-century architectural fixtures and fittings. Lord and Lady Iliffe filled their home with fine paintings, fabrics and furniture and gifted it to the National Trust in 1978. Part of the Christmas 2013 episode of the TV series Downton Abbey was filmed at Basildon Park and featured in the programme as Grantham House the Crawley’s London home. The house has also featured as a location in the 2005 film Pride and Prejudice.