Downton Abbey items auctioned before last farewell

With the third and final Downton Abbey film due to hit the big screen in September, fans have a chance to grab a piece of Downton history.

Props, costumes and set pieces from across the series are being auctioned for charity and the lots are on display in a free exhibition in London.

They include the bell wall from the servant's hall, expected to fetch between £5,000 and £7,000, and the family car - a 1925 Sunbeam - estimated at £25,000 to £35,000.

The exhibition at Bonhams in New Bond Street will remain open until bidding closes on 16 September.

The period drama was filmed primarily at Highclere Castle in Hampshire, with the latest film also shot in North Yorkshire.

Locations for the TV series included Bampton, Cogges Manor Farm and Kingston Bagpuize House in Oxfordshire, and Basildon Park in Berkshire.

Bonhams UK group director Charlie Thomas said the Sunbeam was "an iconic vehicle".

"There's a letter rack, ashtrays and even a tiny little sunroof - but it's not a sunroof at all, it's a chimney, because in 1925 everyone was smoking."

Costumes include six wedding dresses, including Lady Mary's from her marriage to Matthew Crawley in season three.

"The lace, the embroidery and the beading - it's a wonderful example of an extraordinary level of detail," said Mr Thomas.

Items worn by the Countess of Grantham - played by the late Dame Maggie Smith - are also listed.

Reflecting on Downton's global appeal, Dame Penelope Wilton, who played the widowed Isobel Crawley, said: "Julian Fellowes wrote 18 leading characters in all walks of life and it's all about a family, and people recognise that and the relationships in their own lives.

"I think it's the right time to say goodbye - it's best to go up on a high."

Money raised from the auction will go to Together for Short Lives, a charity supporting children with life-limiting conditions and their families.