Highclere Castle

The estate's history dates back to the 8th century, when it was used by the Bishops of Winchester and housed a palace in the Middle Ages. In 1692, the property passed to the Herbert family when Robert Sawyer bequeathed it to his daughter Margaret, who was married to Thomas Herbert, the 8th Earl of Pembroke. At that time, the castle consisted of a rectangular building surrounded by a large park. The nephew of the 8th Earl's second son, Henry Herbert, later became the first Lord Carnarvon. The current castle was built between 1839 and 1842 according to plans by Sir Charles Barry, who also designed the Houses of Parliament.