Behind the Scenes at Downton Abbey (18 page)
Read Behind the Scenes at Downton Abbey Online
Authors: Emma Rowley
The calm green interior of Violet’s Dower House, meanwhile, harks back to the enthusiasm of an earlier generation for an Eastern-inspired look: ‘It’s slightly oriental, eighteenth century,’ says Cromwell. One purchase in particular had the Dowager’s name all over it. ‘There’s a really beautiful little papier-mâché sewing table that we bought at an antiques market, which is in Violet’s house,’ she says. ‘It’s a lovely little thing – Japanese influence, probably eighteenth century. It wasn’t a fortune, but as soon as I saw it, I said, “That’s it, we have to have that.” It’s great for her personality.’ After all, Violet can be a bit eighteenth century herself, at times.
TENDER LOVING REPAIR
The cars’ owners, die-hard collectors and enthusiasts, are generally present on set – which means, handily, that there is someone around who can fix them. ‘Some of the cars have been continuously maintained over the years, but some were bought as absolute wrecks and their owners have meticulously put them back in order,’ says Charmian Adams.
Motoring à la Mode
Downton
’s cars are vintage originals, worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. ‘The first thing to consider is the script,’ says Charmian Adams, the art director. ‘Someone drives up in a car: who are they? Do they have a chauffeur? Or are they driving themselves?’
The vehicles, mostly sourced through the specialist company Motorhouse, have also charted the passing of a decade on screen. ‘When it came to a new car for the Abbey after the First World War, we went for a new shape – and that limited what was available, because hardly any cars were made during the war. We ended up with a maroon and black Sunbeam.’
Colour is important, with anything garish refused. The cars used to dress Bampton for filming tend to be ‘indeterminate’ black Ford Model Ts that can appear several times. They also have to be in good working order. When looking at tractors for the fourth series, Adams found one that was perfect but ‘when it is hot, it doesn’t start.’ A no for the Abbey – and for the set, too.
‘The cars are originals, taken care of by their owners who are put in costume. If it’s not a chauffeur driving, it will be one of the owners. I can’t drive, and once, when I had to drive and talk at the same time, I thought I was going to kill a cameraman! I swore terribly.’
Laura Carmichael
LADY EDITH
SOUPING UP THE SOUND
The cars seen on the show may be antiques today, but they were at the cutting edge of engineering in the early twentieth century. So during the post-production process much healthier engine sounds are added to the scenes to give the impression of purring motors. It wouldn’t do for Lord Grantham to be ferried about by a sputtering engine, after all.
LONDON LIFE COMES TO DOWNTON
As motor cars became more commonplace, escaping London for the country on a weekend was much more feasible. In series four, Gregson makes a trip to Downton along with newcomers to the show the Duchess of Yeovil (Joanna David), Sampson (Patrick Kennedy), Sir John Bullock (Andrew Alexander) and Anthony Gillingham (Tom Cullen), all pictured above.
