When war hits home: On the set of Downton Abbey

Stevens, 28, takes up the story. “At the end of series one, everybody was looking lovely. I was in a linen suit on the lawn, and then Lord Grantham announced that England was at war with Germany. At the beginning of series two, I am covered in mud in a big crater in the middle of France. So it’s very different indeed.”

Emotionally and physically battered by the shocking events he has witnessed at the front, Matthew has been changed forever. In the trenches, he mutters to his batman: “When I think of my life at Downton, it seems like another world.”

Soon, however, the War enters the doors of Downton Abbey. The stately home is converted into a convalescent hospital for wounded officers, and everyone, both upstairs and downstairs, has to muck in with the War effort. As Lord Grantham puts it, “War is now reaching its long fingers into Downton, scattering our chicks.”

Locating the second series of Downton Abbey during the First World War is a typically astute call by the series creator, Julian Fellowes, who is also the Oscar-winning writer of Gosford Park. The setting for this run, which starts at 9pm on Sunday, inexorably moves the drama on and cleverly avoids direct comparisons with the blissful, endless-summer bubble in which the characters dwelt during the first series.

Downton Abbey was broadcast last year to critical acclaim and eye-watering ratings of 13 million. By setting the second series in such a fundamentally different atmosphere, the makers cannot be accused of lazily retreading old ground.

The backdrop of the First World War also immediately raises the stakes and invests proceedings with an inevitable poignancy. Almost a century after it happened, that most cataclysmic of wars continues to haunt us.

The Scotsman is on the set at Highclere Castle, the splendiferous 1842 stately home in Berkshire which doubles for Downton Abbey. Actors in ravishing early 20th Century costumes sit around between takes doing the crossword, listening to iPods and texting on mobile phones. Inside the manor house, we are surrounded by the sort of grand oil paintings and rare ornaments rarely seen outside Antiques Roadshow.

As he unwinds in his trailer, Iain Glen, the magnetic Scottish actor who makes his bow in this series of Downton Abbey as Sir Richard Carlisle, a newspaper tycoon and suitor to Lord Grantham’s daughter, Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery), says that the First World War setting helps to shake up the drama.

“It takes the characters out of their comfort zone,” reflects the actor, 50, who hails from Edinburgh and has recently been seen in Game of Thrones, Dr Who and Spooks. “The manor house is put out of kilter by the War and finds it difficult to adjust. But once it does, it likes its new feeling of purpose. The inhabitants of Downton Abbey realise that until the onset of war they were merely ambling. The War has given them more focus.”

Bonneville agrees that all the characters are turned upside down by the First World War. “All the certainty of the first series has been blown apart – literally. All the pre-First World War certainties – such as the role of women – have been destabilised.”

The actor, who has also starred in Twenty Twelve, Doctor Who and Iris, continues that, “Everything is in flux. Downton Abbey is a symbol of all that is changing. The way the war impacts on the country is mirrored in the house. You get a strong sense of the outside world through the wounded men who come and stay at Downton Abbey. They were youths in full bloom who have now been cruelly cut down.

“But turning Downton into a convalescent hospital also unites people in a common purpose. You have the feeling of a place of luxury getting its hands dirty for once. Robert’s daughters grow up before his very eyes. He finds it very touching that Mary, who could be quite contrary, becomes less capricious and helps with the War effort. That makes Robert very proud.”

The First World War is a setting that will resonate with many viewers. It has previously been employed to great effect in everything from War Horse and Regeneration to Birdsong and Blackadder Goes Forth. Phyllis Logan, the Scottish actress, is sitting in her trailer in the functional, buttoned-up costume she wears as Mrs Hughes, the wondrously efficient housekeeper who keeps everything ticking over at Downton Abbey.

“The sheer horror of the First World War still has a huge impact on us. It was completely unnecessary,” she says. “The soldiers were just cannon fodder. As soon as one lot was wiped out, the next lot was sent to the front. Every village in Britain lost several sons. It was utterly pointless.”

“The First World War continues to have a hold on the world today because of the utter waste of it,” says Bonneville. “The soldiers were lions led by donkeys. They were mere kids. What did they know about life? A whole generation of youth was wiped out. There is still something very powerful about the First World War in our collective memory.”

Fifty-year-old Logan, who was born in Paisley, reveals that, like so many of us, she has a personal link with the conflict. “It is so poignant for me. My grandfather fought in the First World War and died just three days before the Armistice. He left behind eight children – my father was just 17 months old and he never knew his own father. There is a real potency about the First World War because we still know people who had a direct connection with it.”

The First World War also works as a setting for Downton Abbey because it remains such a pivotal moment in our history, the point which marked the beginning of the end of our era as a global hyper-power. “It was a huge turning point for the British Empire,” says Bonneville. “Great red swathes across the world were suddenly changing colour. The end of the first series of Downton Abbey coincides with the end of our national self-confidence.”

The first series of Downton Abbey was sold to more than 100 countries. British costume dramas can sometimes seem to be ten a penny, so why did this particular period piece stand out from the crinoline-clad crowd and chime with viewers around the world?

Glen thinks Downton Abbey proved such a global hit because audiences enjoy decoding the nuances of that bygone world. “In those days, characters struggled with whether they could express their love for someone. Nowadays we live in a world where you don’t think twice before jumping into bed with someone. We’re bombarded with images and everything is on display. Naked women appear on Page 3, and music is incredibly loud. Everything is stated, not hidden.

“So we like to go back to a world where things were not shown. Period drama is about what is not said and what is under the surface. Viewers have to work harder, but they like that responsibility.”

Viewers are also drawn to Downton Abbey because they see themselves in the characters. According to Glen, “Humans are still humans. Downton Abbey portrays a very different world, but in some ways nothing has changed. The themes are absolutely universal. People are still falling in and out of love and wrestling with the same issues. We still have marriages that don’t seem right and struggle with how to bring up our children and how to look after our house – although maybe our house is not quite as grand as Downton Abbey!”

Critics often complain that TV drama commissioning editors these days are relentlessly dumbing down but the success of Downton Abbey appears to contradict that. “It’s great that there is still room for high-quality drama – it can be set in an Edwardian stately home or in a space station,” says Bonneville. “There does seem to be an appetite for shows that shine a torch on the past and act as a prism for our own lives. Long may that be so. Just as long as I keep working.” Some think that the first series of Downton Abbey did so well because, in the teeth of a dreadful recession, people were looking for a piece of perfect period escapism. However, Bonneville does not believe that tells the whole story. “Yes, the timing felt very appropriate, as Downton Abbey provided an escape from our daily worries. But its worldwide success suggests that it’s not just about timing, but about the piece itself. The show has wrapped its tendrils around people in all four corners of the planet.”

Bonneville admits, however, that not everyone raved about the first series of Downton Abbey. “Some people loathe it. I’ve had dismissive comments. But if you don’t like it, that’s fine, watch The Only Way Is Essex instead– that’s a BAFTA-winning show!” More often, though, the actor is greeted by card-carrying Downton devotees. “At six o’clock this morning, when I was getting a coffee, a woman came up to me and said, ‘Can I just say that I love Downton Abbey?’

“You might think the series is very parochial, that it’s just about the British and our quirks and that no one else will get it. But it’s clearly something that has universal appeal. People all over the world feel it’s got something that speaks to them. It’s sold to 130 territories – and that includes Alderney! So we must be doing something right.”

● Downton Abbey begins on ITV1 at 9pm on Sunday. The World Of Downton Abbey by Jessica Fellowes is published by Collins. Series Two of Downton Abbey will be available on DVD from 7 November.