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12 September 2026

Review: 21373 Downton Abbey from LEGO® Ideas

Posted by tobymac

“We’ve been expecting you.” Welcome to Downton Abbey, or Highclere Castle as the famous country house is known in the real world. After spending quite some time in intellectual property approvals, this LEGO Ideas project was finally approved, and in October 2026 we can buy this monumental landmark.

We received an early copy for review, and also spoke to the design team as part of a roundtable presentation.


We were given this product by The LEGO Group; the author's opinions are their own.
This article contains affiliate links to LEGO.com; we may get a small commission if you purchase.

21373 Downton Abbey

  • Release date: 1 October 2026
  • Pieces: 4711
  • Ages: 18+

Price: 

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Lego Ideas 21373 Downton Abbey - the elements


Background

Highclere Castle, built in 1679 and renovated in 1840 into Jacobethan style, has become world famous as the main location for Downton Abbey, a British historical drama running for 6 seasons from 2010 til 2015, and followed by 3 movies. 

The show follows the lives of the Crawley family and their servants from 1912 to 1925, with the movies taking place in 1927, 1928 and 1929. To say the show was popular is an understatement, and even I, who usually prefer a bit more action or comedy, know about the show. To prepare for this review, I have watched some episodes, and I can certainly see the appeal.

With such an iconic location, a LEGO Ideas project was unavoidable, but it was a long journey before a set was produced. Fan designer BRO3’s project was submitted in May 2024 and reached the required 10,000 supporters just 3 months later. During the review round in March 2025, the project was not approved, but placed in the Parking Lot, a special waiting area for projects that need some more research or negotiation with licence holders. Of the projects moved to this Parking Lot, Downton Abbey was the first one to be lifted out again, in October 2025. Another 11 months later, more than 2 years after the original submission, here is the finished product.

In a roundtable presentation, set designer Marina Stampoli and creative lead Jordan David Scott gave a partial reason for the delay:

Sometimes we can't get contracts or agreements put in place before we have to announce things. It can happen with any IP partner, and when you have multiple IP partners, it takes even longer. So that was just part of the reason, but we're very glad that we were able to get it through.

In this case, the IP holders were Universal as well as the Lord and Lady of Highclair!

Of course, a massive castle requires a massive model, and with 4711 parts, this is the largest LEGO Ideas set to date. Will these include some new elements as well, my Lady?


New molds

The majority of the new elements are taken up by the minifigures, including two new molded hairpieces.

First up, Violet Crawley’s iconic hair has been captured in ABS in a brand new mold.

  • Hair Curled in Thick Strands in Light Bluish Gray (6632087 | 8495)

Downstairs, cooks Beryl Patmore and Daisy Parker both wear a mobcap or bonnet to cover their hair.

  • Hair with Bonnet in Dark Orange (6643794 | 119129)
  • Hair with Bonnet in Dark Brown (6631192 | 119129)


Recolors

  • 16x Plate Special 1 x 2 with 1 Stud (Jumper) in Olive Green (6590914 | 15573)
  • 3x Plate Special 4 x 6 with Studs on 3 Edges in Olive Green (6638212 | 6180)

  • 2x Antenna 1 x 4 with Flat Top in Dark Bluish Gray (6634086 | 3957)
  • 2x Brick Special 1 x 2 with 2 Studs on 1 Side in Dark Green (6625311 | 11211)

The antenna was a surprise to me, as I was almost certain this mould from 1979 already existed in this colour.


Another one I could have sworn I had already seen:

  • 9x Brick Special 1 x 2 with Studs on 2 Sides in Tan (6631258 | 52107)

  • 48x + 1 spare Plant, Flower, Plate Round 1 x 1 with 5 Petals in Tan (6573916 | 24866)

  • 15x + 2 spare Hair Small Tuft in Tan (6631256 | 68212)
  • 17x + 3 spare Hair Small Tuft in Dark Tan (6631259 | 68212)

  • 12x + 4 spare Headwear Accessory Plume / Feather Small with Pin in Pearl Gold (6631260 | 87693)

This final recolor involves the bells in the bell room, as we’ll see in the second part of the review. These plumes usually come with 2 spares due to their size, but here we get 4 in a single bag.


Minifigures

The set is packed with 13 minifigures, and with such a massive cast, people had to be left out:

We had to hone in on a specific season, because otherwise, you'll have inconsistencies with the fashion, the interior design and things. So we focused towards the later seasons, which is also why perhaps some characters aren't included.

– Jordan David Scott 

Aside from John and Thomas, all characters receive a newly printed torso, and all ladies are fitted with a new dress.

We wanted to make them all in their very fine ballroom wear because it should feel very elegant. Anthony, our graphic designer, had a lot of fun designing those dresses.

– Jordan David Scott 

With all these new decals, the 'budget' for the heads must have ran out quickly, as there are only 4 new (but dual-sided) prints. 

We start upstairs with the Crawleys.

Robert Crawley

  • Hair Short Swept Back with Sideburns and Widow's Peak in Dark Bluish Gray (6644616 | 21268) returns after 4 years
  • The head is borrowed from Bilbo Baggins in 10354 The Lord of the Rings: The Shire.
  • New printed torso in Black (6643748) 

Violet Crawley

  • Newly molded Hair Curled in Strands in Light Bluish Gray (6632087 | 8495)
  • New printed head in Light Nougat (6612381)
  • New printed torso in Light Aqua (6643683)
  • New printed dress in Light Aqua (6612383) 

Cora Crawley

  • Generic hair and head
  • New printed torso in Sand Green (6643769)
  • New printed dress in Sand Green (6612395)

Macy Crawley

  • Recolored Hair Mid-Length, Smooth in Dark Brown (6640663 | 3887)
  • New printed head in Light Nougat (6612390)
  • New printed torso in Dark Red (6643795)
  • New printed dress in Dark Red (6612392)

Edith Crawley

  • Recolored Hair Short Wavy with Side Part in Ochre Yellow (6640670 | 11256)
  • New printed head in Light Nougat (6612386
  • New printed torso in Medium Nougat (6644620)
  • New printed dress in Medium Nougat (6612388)

Tom Branson

  • Generic hair and rare head
  • New printed torso in Black (6643748) 

Moving downstairs, we meet the staff.

Charles Carson

  • Generic hair
  • New printed head in Light Nougat (6612400)
  • New printed torso in Black (6644625)

Elsie Hughes

  • Rare Hair Short and Bushy in Dark Brown (6610996 | 6960)
  • The head is borrowed from Madame Morrible from 75691 Glinda & Elphaba Bookends
  • New printed torso in Black (6643961)
  • New printed dress in Black (6612398)

John Bates

No new elements for John, but his torso is pretty new, first appearing in 21369 The X-Files from the same designers. 


Anna Bates

  • Recolored Hair Elaborate Knot Bun in Tan (6640669 | 13251)
  • Generic head
Torso and dress are the same as Elsie:
  • New printed torso in Black (6643961)
  • New printed dress in Black (6612398)

Thomas Barrow

Thomas befalls the same fate as John.

We’ve already taken a look at the bonnets Daisy Mason and Beryl Patmore wear, and they also share their uniform:

  • New printed torso in Light Bluish Gray (6643785)
  • New printed dress in Light Bluish Gray (6612403)
  • Daisy’s head appeared once in as Dorothy in 75685 Emerald City Wall Art, Beryl’s head has been used for Molly Weasley

Despite the low count of new faces, there was still budget found for the ladies to have a seat. All dresses also come printed on a Brick Curved 2 x 2 x 2/3 (15068). Combined with a bracket, this results in a sitting minifigure. 

I think this is more valuable, having your characters being able to sit around the dining table versus a new face print. But we wanted to make sure that some of the iconic characters had their decorations for the faces. 

– Jordan David Scott 

  • 1x Brick Curved 2 x 2 x 2/3 with print in Light Aqua (6612384)
  • 2x Brick Curved 2 x 2 x 2/3 with print in Light Bluish Gray (6612404)
  • 2x Brick Curved 2 x 2 x 2/3 with print in Black (6612399)
  • 1x Brick Curved 2 x 2 x 2/3 with print in Dark Red (6612393)
  • 1x Brick Curved 2 x 2 x 2/3 with print in Sand Green (6612396)
  • 1x Brick Curved 2 x 2 x 2/3 with print in Medium Nougat (6612389)
Also, Violet Crawley’s Bracket 1 x 2 - 2 x 2 is rare in Light Aqua (6485605 | 21712), as it appeared in only one set previously.

Overall, the figures look great, and all parts can easily be repurposed for your own period MOCs. Hopefully they are generic enough not to receive an IP lock, allowing them to appear on Pick a Brick.

Also worth mentioning is the dog; a mold which has not appeared in any sets for 3 years now, and might have been on its way out had it not been used here. Fan designer BRO3 suggested this same mold in one of his project updates, and judging by the color, this could be Pharaoh.

We got a dog in it because that was a request from the Lord and Lady of Highclair. I was like, "I don't know if that dog still exists", but it does now. 

– Jordan David Scott 


Other decorations

I am sorry to report that all other decorations are handled by a sticker sheet.

 

You can spot some Easter eggs here, like two special rooms included on the bell board, and the initials of the fan designer on the newspaper.


Other elements of interest

Aside from these new elements, there are a number of elements that have appeared in just a single set prior to the release of Downton Abbey.

  • 3x Plate 4 x 6 in Olive Green (6593082 | 3032)
  • 1x Tile Special 1 x 1 with Clip with Rounded Edges in Medium Nougat (6596915 | 44842)
  • 1x Plate Special 1 x 1 with Clip Horizontal in Dark Green (6579225 | 52738)
  • 2x Plate Special 1 x 2 with Door Rail in Dark Green (6614110 | 32028)
  • 1x Tile Round 1 x 2 in Dark Tan (6632387 | 1126)
  • 2x Tile Round 2 x 2 Half Circle in Dark Red (6593268 | 5520)
  • 1x Hat / Funnel with Ring Handle (Tin Man) in Dark Orange (6584834 | 45756)

Animal Body Part Barb / Claw / Tooth / Talon / Horn Straight in White (6609232 | 8240) has appeared in 3 sets, but is still pretty new and welcome in sets outside of Pokémon ones. You get 8 here. Read Elspeth’s analysis of LEGO part 8240.


The build



The castle is modelled as a dollhouse: the front shows the castle as it stands in real life, while the back is open showing various rooms; out of scale and not in their true position. There are two floors in this LEGO version, while the real-life Highclere Castle has three. 
We had to make some compromises because, you know, it's a LEGO model, so we can't have everything.

– Marina Stampoli 


The ground floor depicts the area intended for the staff, usually referred to as ‘downstairs’.  On the upper floor, or ‘upstairs’, we find the rooms of the aristocrats. 

Even the flooring shows the divide between the classes: downstairs has a plain, stone grey floor, while upstairs the wooden floors are covered in beautiful rugs. 



Looking at the castle, it is hard to spot a flat surface: every wall is covered in ornaments and detailing, and the LEGO model follows suit. This results in walls that utilise very few standard bricks; instead SNOT, brackets and various types of plates and tiles recreate the architecture. 



This also creates a situation where you have to take the bad with the good. All wall sections are very similar to each other, meaning a lot of repetition. All the small parts can also make it a painstaking job. But it is all worth it in the end, as the result is stunning!


You’ll notice all the windows from the outside are covered up with drapes. This is because not all rooms on the inside are in the right position. Covering them up also provides more wall space for adding details.
So we had to come up with a way to show windows on the outside, but walls on the inside. So I have this trick with inverted plates that you see from the outside, and they look like curtains with a lace pattern.

– Marina Stampoli 



Starting downstairs, we see the servants hall on the right, including the wall with bells. As mentioned earlier, some amusing extra rooms have been added by the designers. The bells themselves are represented with the recolored plumes. They do the job fine, but do feel a bit thin. Surprisingly, there are not many real bell molds in the LEGO catalogue. 

I’m a sucker for furniture builds, and this castle is loaded with them.



In the center, we find the office of Charles Carlson, including that weird new invention called a telephone. I’m not sure why John Bates is added in this build step.



And on the left is the kitchen, where Beryl Patmore is annoyed by all those fancy electronic devices Daisy Mason is so keen on bringing in.



Upstairs, we find the library on the right. Like the walls, the bookcases are clever combinations of SNOT and brackets. I also love the use of wand boxes for the pillars besides the fireplace.



In the center, connecting the upstairs rooms, is the main hall.
A slightly bigger change compared to the fan submission was that we removed Mary's bedroom and we replaced it with the main hall, because it's quite iconic. Lots of things are happening there.

– Marina Stampoli 


The final area is the dining room, where we find several portraits of former lords, as well as candleabras made of binoculars and the new Animal Body Part, Barb / Claw / Tooth / Talon / Horn, Straight (8240). 



Aside from all visible Easter eggs, of which I am certainly overlooking many, there are also some hidden ones. In all three towers, colored parts are hidden. These are the 3 favorite colors of the fan designer and his two brothers.


As a finishing touch, a tree is added for the Crawleys to venture out to for some peace and quiet. The tree is built on top of a heart-shaped stand.
The tree was included in the original fan submission. It was also a wish from the lady of the castle because she really loves her trees. 

– Marina Stampoli 

I had to just manage her expectations that it won't be in scale; the real tree is enormous. I said we'll make it as big as we can, but we also want to make sure that the castle is the main focus.

– Jordan David Scott 


Conclusion


Without having detailed knowledge of Downton Abbey, I couldn’t say too much about most of the details of the rooms. As far as I can gather from various online fan pages, they appear to be accurate though, and even as a noob I can see a lot of thought went into them. 

The castle itself looks amazing, and even without the show’s connection, the facade is a great architectural model – but not in itself worth US$349.99/ £269.99/ 299.99€/ AU$499.99. 

The designers did a great job of capturing as many details as possible in this scale. It does make me wonder how a model of the full castle would look? I assume the part count and the accompanying price tag would match the upcoming 21065 Sagrada Família. 


READ MORE: Margit makes MOCs from LEGO Ideas 21365 Love Birds 

 

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