This isn't quite England, but it's close....
For those who haven't had luck securing tickets to Highclere, and who are going through stateside Downton withdrawal, just a note that the DA costume exhibit at Winterthur (the Dupont estate near Wilmington, Delaware) is extremely well-done. No plastic water bottles in sight! ;) The exhibit runs through January 4, 2015. Reservations and timed-entry tickets are required. Some weekends they are holding special teas or lectures. The tea is served buffet-style with tea bags (gasp) so it's not quite what you'd get in London, but they're giving it the old college try! Anyway, nice exhibit and plenty of great Dupont history and legacy in the Brandywine Valley. Make a weekend of it! [Then again, what is a weekend?]
And, yes, the folks at Winterthur say they're seeing record crowds for this exhibit.
http://www.winterthur.org/