Maggie Smith's Downton Abbey house sells for £6 million
The final series of Downton Abbey is underway and one of its most famous buildings has just been sold for £6 million.
Byfleet Manor in Surrey will be familiar to viewers as the Dower House, home to Lady Violet Crawley, the dowager played by Dame Maggie Smith.
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The 17th-century house was put on the market in May for £3.95 million, along with four additional lots in the grounds - three more residential properties and a development plot.
A British buyer has now snapped up the whole lot for £6 million, reports the Evening Standard.
When it went on sale, Savills estate agent Simon Ashwell said: "The main part of The Manor House is a beautiful and unique eight bedroom historic property which offers over 6,000 sq ft of living space and comes with four reception rooms and around 19 acres.
"There are a further four lots available to buy by separate negotiation, including three additional residential dwellings and a development plot.
"The history of Byfleet Manor extends as far back as the 7th century and is first recorded in 1086 in the Domesday Book, while Byfleet Manor as it stands today was built in around 1686."
The mansion has also featured in the Poirot and Cranford TV shows, and was once owned by royalty, including King Edward I and Henry VIII. He granted it to Catherine of Aragon in their divorce and Queen Elizabeth I was known to have visited in 1576.
The last royal owner was the Queen Consort Anne of Denmark, wife of King James I.
Speaking to Get Surrey, Mr Ashwell said: "For all its fame, Byfleet Manor is actually located in an idyllic location at the end of a winding country lane on fringe of the nearby village, discreetly positioned for privacy and security."
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