A NEW study has revealed that a local country house would have one of the highest rates of stamp duty in England.

Highclere Castle, famous as the filming location of Downton Abbey, would set its buyer back a hefty £16million in stamp duty alone.

The study, by My Home Move Conveyancing, revealed that it wasn’t the most expensive property, however, with Buckingham Palace sweeping the board with an estimated £156 million stamp duty price.

Other country homes, such as Blenheim Palace near Oxford, came in with £22 million of stamp duty, while another famous, yet less stately home, that of Harry Potter on Privet Drive - really in Bracknell, Berkshire - having a much more modest £11,250 stamp duty.

Stamp duty land tax is something homeowners must pay when purchasing a residential property or land and its price varies depending on the property’s value. The Government’s current stamp duty holiday, which will end on Thursday, September 30, exempts home-movers buying a property under £250,000 from paying the tax.

Dev Malle, chief business development officer at My Home Move Conveyancing, said: “Stamp duty is a key part of the house buying process, so it was interesting to reveal just how much it might cost a prospective buyer if they were purchasing some of England’s most iconic properties.

“Unsurprisingly, royal residences such as Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle had the highest stamp duty rates, but other recognisable properties across the country, including locations featured in the nation’s favourite TV and films came out with slightly more affordable figures.

“While most of these properties won’t be on the market any time soon, especially those owned by the Crown Estate, it was certainly interesting to see how much you would potentially have to pay if you were to put in an offer in on one of these iconic properties.

"Although these figures may seem incredibly high, we’d like to reassure future homeowners; with the average purchase price of £275,000 for a home in England, the stamp duty charge would be significantly less than the iconic properties, coming in at £1,250.”