A LEGO Downton Abbey set is possibly going to be released, finally giving fans of the hit period drama a chance to build it with LEGO bricks, thanks to fan support and the new LEGO Ideas Parking Lot.
It has been confirmed today that Downton Abbey may be coming as a LEGO set in the next few years. The LEGO Ideas Parking Lot serves as a waiting room for projects needing further evaluation, and is currently home to one based on Downton Abbey, which has fans hopeful that the classic show will get a chance to be represented in the brick.
Introduced with the second 2024 LEGO Ideas review results, the LEGO Ideas Parking Lot grants product ideas some extra time to be reviewed by the LEGO Ideas team before a final decision is reached. A project could need more time for a variety of reasons, whether it be testing out build quality or figuring out licensing agreements. While no official word has been given regarding the delay with the Downton Abbey project, it’s likely that the latter is the reason why the project is currently held up in the Parking Lot. Needing licensing permissions from the show as well as the real Highclere Castle is sure to be an involved process.
Designed by user BRO3 on LEGO Ideas, the project depicts Highclere Castle and 15 characters from the show. The real Highclere Castle is situated in Hampshire, England, but gained most of its fame while serving as the main location for Downton Abbey and pretending to be in Yorkshire. Through the show’s six seasons and three spin-off films, it plays the role of the Crawley Family’s estate.
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The proposed model is incredibly faithful to the real castle as well as to what’s seen in the show. The exterior is littered with details and clever parts usage, including foliage elements, ingots and life preservers. It is a dollhouse-style build, so the castle exterior is just a façade, but that allows easy access to the luxurious rooms inside, each filled with details from the show.
Five main rooms fill the castle — Lady Mary’s room, the dining room, the guest room, servants’ quarters and the kitchen. Then Carson’s office and five small empty rooms sneak their way into the towers. Each of the rooms is packed with details and leaves little open floorspace, but plenty of chairs ensure that the project’s 15 minifigures all have a place to call home within the walls of Highclere Castle.
Eight members of the Crawley family are suggested as minifigures if the project moves on to become an official LEGO set: Violet, Robert, Cora, Lady Mary, Lady Edith, Isobel, Matthew and Tom Branson. Then an additional seven minifigures represent the servants of Downton Abbey, including Charles Carson and Elsie Hughes. And there’s of course a dog, too.
The minifigures are just digital renderings of what the show’s beloved characters could look like in the brick — and the proposed roster isn’t guaranteed to fully make it into the final set should the project be approved — but they’re all a nice treat for fans of the show to see what LEGO Downton Abbey could look like.
The last bit of the set sits to the side of Highclere Castle — that being Lady Mary’s bench. The bench that began many relationships comes fittingly placed atop a heart-shaped base.
Downton Abbey: Highclere Castle is still currently in the LEGO Ideas Parking Lot, so its fate as an official LEGO set is up in the air. But with 10,000 supporters, a place in the Parking Lot and plenty of online chatter, there seems to be significant support for the project. So fans of the show can remain hopeful for seeing Downton Abbey get a brick-built recreation, as long as all the necessary licensing agreements can be finalised.
The designers behind 21357 Disney Pixar Luxo Jnr. recently discussed their process, as did the creatives who crafted 21358 Minifigure Vending Machine. You cna currently enter a contest to have your build displayed in LEGO House.
To hear the news about whether or not LEGO Downton Abbey is to become a reality, be sure to stay tuned here, follow Blocks’ social media channels and subscribe to Blocks magazine.