One of the grandest properties in north Hampshire has been ranked third in the world’s most beautiful stately homes, a new research has revealed

Highclere Castle, which has been used as a location for several films and television series, is ranked in the top three in a research undertaken by Living Cozy to find the world's most beautiful stately homes.

The ranking was done by analysing Trip-advisor reviews of stately homes in the world for the words ‘beautiful’, ‘gorgeous’, ‘stunning’, ‘magnificent’, and ‘lovely’.

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Chatsworth House in Derbyshire is ranked first in the list, while Quinta da Regaleira in Portugal is ranked second.

Chartwell near Westerham in Kent and Burghley House in Peterborough are the other UK stately houses listed in the top 10.

Although Highclere Castle is not a royal-owned residence, it has been owned by the Carnarvon family since 1679.

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On Tripadvisor, over 2,500 reviews for Highclere Castle contain the word ‘beautiful’.

It was a focal point of the hugely popular televisions series Downtown Abbey and the subsequent film.

The ITV1 drama which was watched by more than 10 million people each week ran for six series before being made into a movie, with much of the filming taking place at Highclere Castle, home to the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon.

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