Carlton Towers has a long and tangled history that dates back a millennia (it was held by Robert de Brus, according to the Doomsday Book!), but for all intents and purposes let’s call it a Victorian estate, because that’s what you’ll see when you arrive at its stately gates. Its tall clock tower and imposing gothic exterior with crenellated roof could be straight out of a Victorian novel, which is exactly why it works so perfectly in period dramas such as ITV’s Victoria and the Charles Dickens adaptation of Micawber starring David Jason.
The 250-acre estate is the Yorkshire home of the 18th Duke of Norfolk, but since 1991 it has been lived in, and run, by Lord Gerald Fitzalan-Howard and his family. Under their stewardship, Carlton Towers has been the setting for a diverse range of film and TV projects, from blockbuster Bollywood movies to BBC dramas such as Kay Mellor’s Love, Lies & Records. The estate isn’t open for tours, but has very regal-looking accommodation and a tearoom in its stables.
