text: Intermediate 
  The atmosphere at the beginning of the final series of Downton Abbey is one of melancholy and changing times. The year is 1925. The neighbours are selling up their own stately home, while Lord Grantham wants to cut back on servants.
  But, at the real Downton Abbey, Highclere Castle  a stately home owned by George Geordie Herbert, 8th Earl of Carnarvon  they have more money than before. According to Lady Fiona Carnarvon, the huge global success of Downton has paid for building repairs that are needed to save Highclere for the next generation.
  Its been an amazing magic carpet ride for all of us, she said. Its given us free marketing and an international profile. Im hugely grateful. My husband and I love Highclere Castle. Now, it is loved by millions of other people.
  Currently, only the ground and first floors of Highclere, on the borders of Hampshire, are used. But, a restoration project of tower rooms has begun that will eventually allow visitors to climb up into the tower to an exhibition showing the work of the architect of the Houses of Parliament, Sir Charles Barry, who rebuilt the house between 1839 and 1842.
  When the Downton Abbey producers first approached Highclere in 2009, the family had 12 million of repairs to do  1.8 million of that work was urgent. But, by 2012, Downton Abbey was having a positive effect. Lord Carnarvon said then: It was just after the banking crisis and we were worried. Then, Downton began and Highclere became a major tourist attraction.
  Visitor numbers doubled, to 1,200 a day, as Downton Abbey, written by Julian Fellowes, was shown around the world after becoming a hit in the UK in 2010 and, then, in the US. It is now broadcast in 250 countries.
  There is now a computerized advance booking system, which helps foreign visitors to buy tickets. Highcleres current assets have almost trebled to around 1 million since 2012. Gareth Neame, the executive producer for the series, said: I think Downton Abbey secured Highcleres future.
  Peter Fincham, ITVs director of television, remembers the moment when Highclere was booked. I thought, So what?, because I had never heard of Highclere Castle. I thought, Every stately home looks the same. But I was wrong. The castle has been an enormous character as well.
  The Downton tourists are part of a growing phenomenon. VisitBritain estimates that nearly 30% of foreign visitors, or nearly nine million people, visit castles and historic houses. Almost half of visitors to Britain now say they want to visit places from films or TV.
  More than a million take a tour of historic buildings each year, spending more than 1 billion. Fifty-one per cent of Brazilians, 42% of Russians and Chinese, and 35% of Indian visitors are likely to include a visit to a site of interest in their trips.
  VisitBritains director, Patricia Yates, said: The links between tourism, films and TV are strong. She added that period dramas have also increased the popularity of places outside of London.
  Downton Abbey expresses a certain view of Britain. It is a fantasy world, based in a particular time in history. Its the first TV period drama that has really become part of popular culture.
  Lady Carnarvon says that the long-term future of Highclere is not necessarily secure. But, she says, The programme has allowed us to spend faster on the buildings.
  Highclere Castle plans a Tutankhamun event in 2022, 100 years after the 5th Earl of Carnarvon discovered Tutankhamuns tomb with Howard Carter. Another opportunity to keep Highclere in the public mind is the 300th anniversary of the birth of Lancelot Capability Brown, who designed the grounds.
  Every single day, dont take anything for granted, said Lady Carnarvon. You have to invest in all these great houses. And, there has been a deficit since the 1930s. In the past, an estate and house supported the family and their lifestyle but, today, it is quite the reverse: the challenge is how Geordie and I can support Highclere.
  Ive tried to persuade people it is fun. We have specific events they can engage with, not just a walk around a dusty house. We have to compete with attractions like the London Dungeon.