LEGO has built Downton Abbey, kitchen and all. Here is everything in the box, who it suits as a gift, and the true stories behind the details in Mrs. Patmore’s kitchen.
Black Friday is two weeks away, and Christmas lists are being written. For one kind of Downton fan, the answer has arrived. In October, LEGO released Downton Abbey as a 4,711-piece set, with the family upstairs and the staff downstairs. Before you put it on a list, or buy it for someone else, here is what you actually get, what it costs, and the real history hiding in the kitchen.
| The short answer: LEGO Ideas Downton Abbey (set 21373) has 4,711 pieces and 13 minifigures. It costs US$349.99 (£269.99) at LEGO.com and LEGO stores. Upstairs are the dining room, main hall and library. Downstairs are the kitchen, servants’ hall and Mr. Carson’s office. It stands about 12 inches tall, 17.5 inches wide and 6.5 inches deep, and is rated 18+. |
What’s in the LEGO Downton Abbey set?
The model is based on Highclere Castle, the house that plays Downton in the series and films. It began as a fan design on the LEGO Ideas site, where fans vote for sets they want made. It reached 10,000 supporters in three months, according to License Global. LEGO then rebuilt it from the ground up. Order here.
The house is built in two levels, just like the show. The top lifts off so you can see below stairs.
| Level | Rooms | Details worth looking for |
| Upstairs | Dining room, main hall, library | Place settings laid out by dining etiquette, family portraits |
| Downstairs | Kitchen, servants’ hall, Mr. Carson’s office | An early electric mixer, a servants’ table set by rank, a candlestick telephone |
| Outside | Lady Mary’s garden bench, the cedar tree | Highclere’s famous cedar on the lawn |
Which characters are included?
There are 13 minifigures, dressed for Season 6:
- Upstairs: the Dowager Countess, Lord Grantham, Lady Grantham, Lady Mary, Lady Edith and Tom Branson
- Downstairs: Carson, Mrs. Hughes, Mr. Bates, Anna Bates, Thomas Barrow, Mrs. Patmore and Daisy
Two characters from the original fan design didn’t make the final set: Matthew and Isobel Crawley, according to Stonewars. Fans of Matthew will have opinions. So I suspect Isobel would, but then you would have to add Lord Merton.
The real history behind the kitchen
This is the part I love. The LEGO kitchen includes an early electric mixer, and that small piece tells a big story.
The mixer arrives at Downton. In Season 4, set in 1922, an electric mixer turns up in the kitchen. Daisy takes to it. Mrs. Patmore is deeply suspicious of anything that might do her job.
The real mixer was a luxury. Hobart, the company behind KitchenAid, had sold its big 80-quart mixer to bakeries since 1914. Its first mixer for home kitchens, the 5-quart H-5, cost $189.50, according to the Smithsonian. That’s more than $3,000 today. A mixer in a country house kitchen in the early 1920s signalled money and a house willing to try new things.
Mrs. Patmore had a point. Every new machine in the 1920s raised the same worry downstairs: if a machine can beat the eggs, how many kitchen maids does a house need? The fear was about jobs, not gadgets.
The servants’ hall seating is accurate too. Staff in a great house sat by rank. The butler took the head of the table and the housekeeper sat near him. Valets and lady’s maids came next, and the junior staff sat at the far end. Visiting servants took the rank of the person they served. The LEGO table is set the same way.
Is the LEGO Downton Abbey set worth it?
That depends on who it’s for. Brickset’s reviewer called it “a great set that is immediately identified with Highclere Castle / Downton Abbey,” but noted two things worth knowing. The model seems smaller than you’d expect from 4,711 pieces. And the U.S. price works out a little higher per piece than in Britain and Europe, according to the Brickset review.
It suits:
- A devoted Downton fan who wants a display piece, not a toy
- Someone who enjoys a long, calm build over several evenings
- A household with an 18-inch shelf to spare
Think twice if:
- You’re buying for a child. It is rated 18+ for good reason.
- You’re hoping for a discount. LEGO’s Insiders Weekend is November 21 and 22, and its Black Friday sale runs November 27 to 30. LEGO hasn’t said which sets will be discounted, so don’t count on this one. Stonewars expects other retailers to get the set about three months after launch, which means January at the earliest.
- You want the whole cast. Matthew is not coming.
One practical tip: if the set goes on a Christmas list, order by early December. Popular LEGO sets can sell out before the holidays, and LEGO.com currently limits orders to five per household.
How to display it (and keep the dust off)
A 4,711-piece model is a dust magnet. Anyone who has cleaned a china cabinet knows the feeling. Once Downton is built, two extras make it easier to live with.
A clear display case. An acrylic case keeps dust off and stops small hands and curious cats from rearranging the Crawleys. The finished model is about 17.5 inches wide, 6.5 inches deep and 12 inches tall, so look for a case with inside measurements of at least 18 x 7 x 12.5 inches. Make sure the lid lifts off, so you can still reach downstairs. See a display case sized for the Downton Abbey set on Amazon
A light kit. LED kits made for LEGO models light the windows from inside. Downton lit up at dusk, the way the show opens, is quite a sight. See LED light kits for the Downton Abbey set on Amazon
If the set is a gift, a display case makes a good companion present. It’s the part the recipient won’t think to buy until the first dusting.
Build it, then cook from it
Once Mrs. Patmore’s kitchen is on your shelf, you may want to cook from it. You’ll find her recipes, and the history behind them, in my Downstairs with Carson collection. For the upstairs menu, start with Upstairs with the Crawleys.
Frequently asked questions
How many pieces are in the LEGO Downton Abbey set?
4,711 pieces, including 13 minifigures.
How much does the LEGO Downton Abbey set cost?
US$349.99 or £269.99 at LEGO.com.
Will the LEGO Downton Abbey set be on sale for Black Friday?
LEGO hasn’t said. Its Insiders Weekend runs November 21 and 22, and its Black Friday sale runs November 27 to 30, 2026. Check LEGO.com on those dates.
When was the LEGO Downton Abbey set released?
October 1, 2026, for LEGO Insiders members, and October 4 for everyone else.
What is the set number?
21373, in the LEGO Ideas line.
Which Downton Abbey characters are included?
The Dowager Countess, Lord and Lady Grantham, Lady Mary, Lady Edith, Tom Branson, Mr. Carson, Mrs. Hughes, Mr. and Mrs. Bates, Thomas Barrow, Mrs. Patmore and Daisy.
Is Matthew Crawley in the LEGO set?
No. Matthew and Isobel were in the original fan design but were left out of the final set.
How big is the finished model?
About 12 inches (30 cm) tall, 17.5 inches (44 cm) wide and 6.5 inches (16 cm) deep.
Is there a display case for the LEGO Downton Abbey set?
Yes. Look for an acrylic case with inside measurements of at least 18 x 7 x 12.5 inches and a lid that lifts off.
Is the LEGO Downton Abbey set for kids?
No. LEGO rates it 18+ and designs it as a display model for adults.
A final thought
Downton Abbey was always a story told on two floors. LEGO understood that. The best part of this set isn’t the towers or the library. It’s the kitchen, where a tiny mixer stands for a real moment when machines first came below stairs. Mrs. Patmore didn’t trust it. History says she was right to wonder.
Sources
- The LEGO Group, LEGO Ideas Downton Abbey 21373, product page
- The LEGO Group, LEGO Insiders Weekend and LEGO Black Friday
- License Global, LEGO Releases Downton Abbey Set
- Stonewars, LEGO Downton Abbey 21373
- Brickset, Review: 21373 Downton Abbey
Smithsonian Magazine, 100 Years of KitchenAid Stand Mixers
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