9. Speaking of the upper classes…none of them can afford their land anymore.
Ah, yes. Well, it’s a little bit awkward, but around the turn of the 20th Century, a lot of the aristocracy started selling off their land and houses because they couldn’t afford them anymore.
Which is why it’s basically the entire plot of Downton Abbey. Now, the large majority of stately homes are open to the public all year round and that’s the only way they can keep them going. Or they’ve been sold off as spas, hotels and houses for the currently very rich. If you’re a Russian heiress and really fancy being lady of the manor, rural England is absolutely the place to go, and you can pretty much buy whatever title you want.
