Lady Carnarvon banishes dogs from Downton Abbey: Owner of Highclere calls time on stars' pets 'running riot around the castle'



The stunning halls of Downton Abbey - properly known as Highclere Castle - have seen their fair share of upstairs-downstairs drama.



But the latest spat to rock the stately pile involves its canine occupants.



Sources have revealed that the cast of the award-winning ITV show have been banned from bringing their dogs to work, after they ran riot around the house and grounds.



Hounded out: Lady Carnarvon, 49, owns three spaniels and two labradors of her own, and found the additional dogs too much to handle

Dogs at war: The Earl of Grantham, played by Hugh Bonneville, pictured with the Crawley family's pet

The Earl and Countess of Carnarvon, who own Highclere, took the step when the number of on-set pets got out of hand.



Lady Carnarvon, 49, owns three spaniels and two labradors of her own, and reportedly found the furore caused by additional dogs too much to bear.

A source on the show said: 'As the cast spend so much time filming at Highclere Castle, a lot of them bring their dogs with them. Lady Carnarvon imposed a ban because she doesn’t like the dogs going in certain areas in case they cause a mess.



'One of her own labradors gets jealous when rival dogs are on set, which is believed to be another reason.'

Britain's best export? Downton Abbey, soon to return for a new series, has gathered over 120 million viewers worldwide

But it seems some of the actors are unwilling to see their furry sidekicks hounded out.



Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, 69, who plays Australian soprano Dame Nellie Melba, admits: 'I took my two dogs along and Lady Carnarvon didn’t want those anywhere near the place, but anyway I did.'



Ed Speelers, who plays dashing downstairs footman Jimmy, is also on the naughty list. 'I’ve got a border collie who ran off and up to the part of the house you're not allowed to go to,' he says.



'I had to run after him and pick him up by the scruff of the neck because he was getting mud everywhere.'



Canine chaos: Frank, a bouncy young border collie, has caused mayhem behind the scenes for his master, Ed Speelers

Despite his crimes, Ed hopes Downton's writers might one day find a part for his wayward young pet, who the actor named Frank.



If he needs some lessons in manners, the excitable hound could take a cue from Lesley Nicol's dogs.

Single... but maybe not for long: Lady Mary, played by Michelle Dockery, with baby George

The actress, who plays cook Mrs Patmore, reportedly brought her own Tibetan terrier and a rescued miniature poodle to the set without the slightest mishap.



Collie Frank behaved brilliantly the first day Ed took him to work, but incurred the wrath of Jim Carter, who plays butler Mr Carson, by chewing the carpets in Hugh Bonneville [the Earl of Grantham]'s dressing room.



Ed explains: 'He had bits of carpet dangling out of his mouth and I said, "Frank, you’ve ruined my career. Hugh plays my boss, so you’ve blown it for me."



'Frank just sat there and licked his lips while I scrubbed away the mud he'd spread around and pushed the sofa into a position that would hide the damage. Now everyone's sending me up because I was acting like a real footman.'



The fourth series of Downton Abbey will return to UK screens in September, and will be set in the roaring Twenties.

With the Crawley family still in mourning after the demise of Matthew Crawley, the heir to the estate, fans can expect a sombre opening.



But single mother Lady Mary may not be left alone for long, thanks to the arrival of two eligible aristocrats as potential suitors.



Tom Cullen will join the cast as Lord Anthony Gillingham, while Charles Blake, played by Julian Ovenden, will also vie for her hand.



As well as being the jewel in ITV's crown, Downton is officially Britain's most successful TV export, with over 120 million viewers worldwide.