A Year in the Life of Downton Abbey: Seasonal Celebrations, Traditions, and Recipes (11 page)

The great revelation about Charles is that he turns out to come from an aristocratic background, something that the actor wasn’t aware of when he accepted the part: ‘I knew that they wanted someone who was a match for Mary, but who embodied a slightly more liberal point of view that would clash with her and the family’s politics. [When I found out he was upper class] it was rather nice – I don’t think I would have played any scene any differently, in retrospect. He’s a free-thinker and modern for that time. He believes women have as much right to free thought as men. Perhaps he even feels burdened by being an aristocrat, in line for an inheritance and a big estate in Ireland, not needing any money. I think he wants to forge his own path rather than rely on his family – that’s his driving force.’

Of his character’s admiration for Mary, Julian Ovenden says: ‘They have similarities between them. They’re both quite dominant and speak their mind, but are actually quite practical when it comes down to it. I also think he finds her frustratingly mysterious. She wrong-foots him, she’s obviously intelligent and very capable, which he finds attractive.’

Andrew Scarborough plays the estate’s long-standing tenant farmer, Tim Drewe – his family have rented land from Downton Abbey since King George IV was on the throne, a hundred years before, as Robert likes to remind Mary. Andrew was also unsure as to how his character would play out in the show: ‘When I joined there was always the possibility that I’d come back, so for the first few days I felt as if I was auditioning! But I was delighted when I found out that something meaty was going to happen.’ Tim, of course, is more than just a farmer with some knowledge of pigs – he takes in Edith’s secret daughter, Marigold, to raise with his other children. This gives his storyline a complex layer – he is both an equal of Edith in this situation and her family’s tenant, which means a level of deference to them. It has meant that there are sometimes complications: ‘I was doing a scene with Lady Edith and didn’t want to take my cap off, because I felt it would be too distracting. And he’s caught in the middle, trying to advise her on something about the daughter. We came to the conclusion that he wouldn’t have his hat on at the start. Little things like that, you have to think through.’

Farming in the 1920s was a tough business to be in and it wasn’t going to get any easier – quite the opposite, in fact – for some years yet. But with Mary and Tom’s determination to make the land work for them, combined with Robert’s kind-hearted attitude towards the tenants, they should be able to ensure the house’s livelihood, so that it may continue to stand proud for generations to come. That is their purpose and their driving force. For the Crawleys, Downton Abbey is not just bricks and mortar, but is as much a part of them as their own flesh and blood. Perhaps that is hard for us to understand today, but life then was lived less for oneself than on behalf of unknown, as yet unborn, descendants. It might have made the aristocracy appear cold at times, as they had to make ruthless decisions to support the future rather than the present. But it makes for a rather compelling television show, as I’m sure you will agree.

A simple and hearty stew to remind Tom Branson of home, this is good country cooking. This variation uses lamb instead of the more traditional mutton.

SERVES 6

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Heat the oil or fat in a large casserole dish over a high heat. Add the lamb and toss in the fat until browned. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate.

Add another tablespoon of oil to the pot, followed by the shallots, celery, carrots, pearl barley, bay leaf and thyme leaves. Cook over a medium heat for about 10 minutes until the onions have softened. Return the meat to the dish and pour over the stock. Season well with salt and pepper.

Put the potatoes on top of the stew, cover the pot and cook in the oven for 1½ hours until the potatoes are soft and the meat is tender. Top up with stock if the stew starts to dry out.

Stir the butter into the stew and sprinkle with parsley to serve.

This comforting apple pudding, with its sponge topping, makes good use of English Bramleys. In autumn you can add a handful of freshly picked blackberries to the apples.

SERVES 6

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 1 quart ovenproof dish with butter.

Peel and core the apples and slice thinly. Place in the prepared dish and sprinkle the turbinado sugar, nutmeg and lemon zest over them. Add 1 tablespoon of water.

In a separate bowl, cream the butter and superfine sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg gradually, beating well. Sift the flour into the bowl and fold into the mixture. Add a splash of milk – enough to give a dropping consistency. Spread this mixture over the apples.

Bake in the oven for 40–50 minutes, until the sponge mixture is golden and firm to the touch in the centre. Sprinkle with superfine sugar and serve with custard or cream.

SPOTLIGHT ON

While Ealing Studios is the home of the
Downton Abbey
production offices, wardrobe and prop stores, as well as the built sets for the servants’ quarters and the family’s bedrooms, the lavish stateliness that we associate with the show comes from its locations. At the centre of these is Highclere Castle, the privately owned home of the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon, and the setting for the Crawley family.

Walking up to the castle is not always the romantic jaunt you think it might be – sitting high up on a hill, the wind catches you from all directions and it’s not long before you have your head down, eyes streaming, coat collar pulled as tight as it will go. It makes one rather less envious of past inhabitants, living there without central heating and plumbed hot water. But walking through the castle’s front door, the thing that hits you first is the realisation that it really is Downton Abbey. How you see it on the screen is pretty much how it is in real life.

Donal Woods, the production designer, explains his team’s responsibility: ‘We have to keep it familiar. Since 1912 the costumes have changed, but we have to embrace the permanence of the house. We might lighten the colours a little as we head into the 1920s, but it really is all still the same. From my point of view, until we get to 1925 and the Paris Exhibition, when Art Deco turns up, nothing has changed for years. Country houses didn’t change – the family isn’t going to suddenly go mad and have pink walls – and when the war came, no one was thinking about redesigning the wallpaper.’