With summer finally abating and a new series of the globally popular Downton Abbey under way, insights from Visit Britain reveal that visiting castles, stately homes and famous buildings in Britain is now a top priority for overseas visitors.

Nearly 30 per cent of all visits to Britain, the second most popular destination for Maltese travellers, include a trip to built heritage sites, with the amount spent by those who do so amounting to £6.5 billion over the entirety of their trip.

Overseas visitors have a consistently high perception of Britain’s built heritage. In a poll of 15,000 respondents, 47 per cent recognised “interesting built heritage” as a top holiday attribute associated with Britain – a 10 per cent increase on pre-Olympic perceptions.

Britain’s “interesting built heritage” was also ranked second against that of France, the US, Australia and Italy – higher than its previous third place ranking prior to the London 2012 Games and subsequent GREAT marketing campaign launch.

Much of the appeal of Britain’s built heritage is attributed to the charm of castles and stately homes, tied to medieval and Celtic history and, of course, the people who once lived there.

Britain has some of the most iconic buildings in the world that visitors want to come and see

Buildings made famous through literature, film and TV, such as Highclere Castle – home of the phenomenally successful Downton Abbey TV series – are also helping to increase interest.

With the eagerly awaited fourth season of Downton Abbey under way, British tourism businesses, such as Ellenborough Park Hotel, are capitalising on the attention of a worldwide audience upwards of 120 million by promising private access to Highclere Castle as part of an exclusive package.

Alnwick Castle, the home of Harry Potter, has experienced a 230 per cent increase in visitor numbers since 2011, boosting the local economy by an extra £9 million.

Joss Croft, marketing director at Visit Britain, said: “With our rich history and culture, Britain has some of the most iconic buildings in the world that visitors want to come and see. As an all-year-round location, we know that people are drawn here by the chance to see castles like those at Alnwick, Conwy, Edinburgh and Windsor.

“Alongside that, adaptations of classic novels by Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters – as well as the growing success of period dramas such as Downton Abbey – are helping to increase interest in visiting stately homes across the UK.”