Question: In what time period is the British drama series Downton Abbey set?

Answer: The award winning period drama Downton Abbey is set during the early 20th century. The first series begins, set the day after the sinking of the Titanic which happened on the 14th of April, 1912.

Series 1 of Downton then ends with the announcement of the outbreak of The Great War (World War 1) which took place between 1914 and 1918.

Downton Abbey itself is a fictional country house set in the real English county of Yorkshire.

The exterior shots of the Abbey you see in the show are actually of Highclere Castle in Hampshire, England. Highclere is also used for filming most of the indoor scenes too.