Locals in the village where Downton Abbey is filmed say it has made them a 'small fortune' - while others claim they are overrun with tourists who 'stand on their drives'.

Bampton in Oxfordshire has served as an outdoor location for the fictional community of Downton - set to come to an end in upcoming film 'The Grand Finale'.

The series began filming on its cobbled streets in 2010 - and it soon became a magnet for tourists from around the world.

The tourism boom has dividing Bampton - some saying it generated a "small fortune" from "old biddies stuffed with cash'' buying merchandise - with the money used to improve local buildings and services."

But other residents of the quaint village say they want their ''front drives free from brash American accents''.

Bus loads of often American fans, fascinated by the historical drama's depiction of early 20th century Britain, come armed with cameras and selfie sticks to Bampton.

They tour sites like St Mary's Church, which hosts weddings, christenings and funerals in the show's fictional village.

Sightseers choosing to take a guided tour around Bampton and other Downton Abbey locations can be set back as much as £500 each.

And now six series and three movies after filming began 15 years ago, the rift within the village is ever growing.

One elderly volunteer at Bampton Community Hub, which was used to depict the Downton Cottage Hospital, claimed the charity's not-for-profit shop was at one point making £1,000 a day from visitors.

It sells a range of Downton goods - including books, snow globes and hats - and features a life-size cut-out of Hugh Bonneville

The volunteer said: "It has made us a small fortune. Hundreds of thousands of pounds - we've had thousands and thousands and thousands of visitors"."

Its popularity with visitors has helped the community fund reconstruction of its buildings, including the Old Grammar School, improving services available to locals such as a village library, an exhibition space and a community archive.



"It is mostly Americans", the volunteer added. ''The elderly ladies helping run the little shop at first didn't know what to do with all the dollars and other foreign currencies that began filling the till. "

"It saved our library. It enabled us to restore the interior building. Upstairs we have a social hub, we do events free of charge for the villagers."

Other Bampton villagers, however, are more skeptical of the town's association with the franchise.

Fabrizio Manerba, 62, a village local, said: "My friend overheard a tour guide say that Bampton was nothing before Downton Abbey. "

''Let me tell you - Bampton was a beautiful, expensive place to live long beforehand.''

Mr Manerba described busloads of tourists arriving whatever the weather.

He said: "I live on the main square and they often stand in my driveway. They just go everywhere!''"

Di O'Brien, 73, described tourists coming "at all times" with around 10 buses arriving a day at the town's peak popularity, with visitors lingering and posing for photographs."

At the Post Office, the owner, Pankaj Grover, 40, downplayed the divisiveness of village politics surrounding the Downton tourism cash cow.

"If someone comes in and asks me about Downton, I send them to the Community Hub. I'm not a competitor." "

Describing his experience of moving to the town a few months ago, Mr Grover said he "has been surprised by the togetherness the village has"."

"We are all one community," he said, adding: "They work for each other here. As the world gets more selfish, it's so surprising to find a village like this."

But across the road, Lynn Shuker, who works at Arthur's Attic antiques, said that while the Community Hub was making "lots of money", the busloads of tourists don't contribute to other shops. "

"They contribute to the library, but apart from that they don't have enough time. We are better off with individual travellers, with families in cars - not the buses." "

"There's so much more to Bampton than Downton Abbey", she added."

Other locals prefer to keep out of the debate and were just amused by all the fuss being made over the little village.

Amy Joyce, 33, and Lesley Pearce, 66, admitted to not watching the show and said: "It's like us going down to London I suppose… But in London you could go and see Tower Bridge."

Tanya Newland, 54, a resident born and raised in Bampton, has focused on the chance to revel in the glamour of big production sets.

Describing being cast as an extra during filming, Ms Newland said: "I was a villager. I had my hair done in ringlets and had make-up put on. "

"I love the elegance behind the show, which I think we have lost in modern society," she said, adding: "It was a lovely experience". "

Kay Frith, 65, from York, an avid watcher of Downton Abbey visiting recognisable spots from the show while seeing a friend living nearby, said her favourite character was Lady Mary Crawley, played by Michelle Dockery.

"She's feisty but also a bit cool and cold. She builds a wall around herself to protect herself," she said, adding: "It's a little bit of escapism, going back to a slower pace of life."