The end of Downton Abbey

It's the end of Downton Abbey!

I am a massive Downton Abbey fan and in the past I posted about my visit to Highclere Castle, the main filming location for Downton Abbey. Recently, there's been a lot of hype about the final Downton Abbey movie that will premiere next week. After that, that will be it. No more Downton Abbey 😔

As the series draws to an end after 15 years, I found out recently that the production house is auctioning off a lot of the props and costumes. The auction house, Bonhams, is holding a free preview exhibition called Downton Abbey : The Auction to exhibit some of the auction items in London before the hammer comes down. Of course, I couldn't let go of this opportunity to see the exhibition.

Going to The Auction

Originally I was going to drag hubby with me because it feels a bit sad to go alone. Then I found out a friend who was visiting London at the same time was also a Downton fan and we hadn't seen each other for a long time. Perfect! I don't know if I was happier that I could kill two birds with one stone, or if hubby was happier that he didn't have to come with me.

My friend and I were like two little excited schoolgirls when we arrived. Here's the main entrance to the auction house. On one side of the entrance is one of the highlight item, the wedding dress worn by Lady Mary, and on the other side a poster of the event with the Crawley family.

Since this is the end of Downton Abbey, once inside, I was so happy to experience the magic for one last time. It was lovely to see some of the items in real life that I had only seen on screen before. The exhibition room was already filled with people, not too many, as this was a pre booked event, but enough to feel the vibe of how pleased everyone was to be here.

There was a big dining table in the center of the room, set elegantly just like we see it in the TV series and movie. If you ever wonder what proper British upper class dinner setting looks like, this is pretty much it. Everything on the table, including the napkins, the menu and even the name cards, can be bid in the auction.

The Costumes

Downton Abbey is well known for its costumes. From the Crawley family, young to old, male and female, to the downstairs staff, all their costumes are designed true to the era. There are many iconic outfits, and many that I didn't remember seeing because there are just so many of them. Don't forget, in the old days, the rich people changed clothes many times in the day, from when they get up, to going out, to having dinner at home. Many of these outfits are to be auctioned off, and are on display at the exhibition.

Without a doubt, the most iconic outfits are the wedding dresses. In particular, the one worn by Lady Mary in season 1.

This is Lady Mary's wedding dress and is estimated to be between £3000 to £5000. Its current bid price is £7000!	Another wedding dress is worn by Lady Edith. Perhaps this character isn't so popular, its current bid price is only £1200

One item that really surprised me is this Bell Wall. You get it in all grand houses where the masters can ring a bell from any room to call the servants. The bell is wired to a bell wall which is located downstairs at the servants area, and the servants can see which room has rung the bell. This bell wall has a guide price of £5000 to £7000, and its current bid is £18000. Yes, that's £18k!!

Downstairs

The other part of the exhibition is the downstairs, ie the servants section, mainly the kitchen. You can bid for a maid outfit, it would be so cool for a fancy dress party! Again everything you see here, you can take home, but first of all you have to pay at least £1600 for those silver plated trays on the table. Or perhaps you fancy that oak dresser at the back on the right. That will set you back £3600 today, but the auction is still ongoing for another 9 days so the price may go up. If you're looking for something more affordable at home, perhaps you will like the white shelf hanging on the wall. The current bid price for that is £850.

This little corner is the butler, Mr Carson's office. It's quite lavish for a servant because the butler runs the whole house and is the most important member of staff. Mr Carson has a key cabinet hanging on his office wall. That's where he keeps the keys for wine cellar, silver ware and other important household items. The current bid price for this key cabinet £1300.

You may think all these exorbitant bid prices are crazy, so do I, to be honest. But if you are say, a Marvel, GOT, LOTR, Jaws or B2TF fan, you'll understand how important these props are to a movie, and the time and effort that has gone into making them. I was very impressed by the work from the graphics and art department. Everything was handwritten back in the days, and these were carefully created by the graphic department. When an actor or actress reads a letter from someone, they were really reading something handwritten by a real person. There was even a journal where Mr Carson kept track of the wine and when it was served. The level of detail is amazing, no wonder Downton fans are bidding a few hundred £ for some of these handwritten items.

The most expensive item at the auction

If you thought £18k for a bell wall is expensive, then you'd be surprised to know there's something else that's even more expensive. This 1925 Sunbeam 20/60hp Saloon is the family car used by the Crawleys. It's a real vintage car, comparable to a Rolls Royce when it was produced. This particular one still runs so it's more than just a prop. But since there are only around 45 of these left, it's unlikely the owner will be driving around town in it much. The estimated price for this is £25k to £35k, and its current bid price is £38k. Not expensive for a vintage car to be honest, and definitely not expensive for a piece of Downton Abbey.

The end of Downton Abbey

For Downton fans, and I know there are quite a few here, it's very sad to see the end of Downton Abbey. I'm so glad that I got to visit Highclere Castle in the past and I'm so glad I saw this exhibition, bringing everything to life.

The only thing left now is the final movie which will premiere this week. Normally, I will watch that with my sisters, but they're both away on holiday for a month. I'll have to drag hubby with me this time. and I've told him he's not allowed to snore too noisily.