"Downton Abbey”, the very popular PBS Masterpiece series is entertaining viewers this season. The tales of how the wealthy British aristocrats lived and loved in the early years of the 20th Century play out. Interacting with them are the trials and tribulations of those who were their hired help.

The series, which is now in the process of filming another season of episodes, has attracted a rush of tourists to the estate that served as the fictitious Downton Abbey. It is Highclere Castle, a sprawling manor majestically dominating the landscape just 60 miles west of London.

Owned by the current Earl of Carnarvon, it has become a popular destination for tourists who are curious to see where their TV idols sipped tea and hunted pheasants. The estate is currently sprucing up to prepare for this spring’s rush of visitors, and is expected to be open daily in early March. For scheduled programs at the castle and more information, go to www.highclerecastle.co.uk/