My daughter bought me a voucher for a day out and afternoon tea for two at Blenheim Palace for my birthday. What a thoughtful special treat! I’m glad I made our booking for 3rd June when the weather was warm, if somewhat overcast at times!
Blenheim Palace
Located near Oxford, Blenheim Palace was gifted to John Churchill, the first Duke of Marlborough in 1704 in recognition of his victory at the battle of Blenheim against the French. It is still the home of the 12th Duke and his family.
Apart from the splendour of the palace and 2,000 acres of parkland modified by the famous landscape gardener ‘Capability’ Brown, Blenheim Palace is famous for being the birthplace of Winston Churchill; he was born there while his parents were visiting the ancestral home.
In 1987 it was granted the status of UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
I’m not surprised that Blenheim is like a honeypot to tourists from all the world over.
In fact it has recently been named the second of the top 10 stately homes in the UK, after Howard House in Derbyshire (which I have yet to visit!!)
The Palace Building
The Formal Gardens
Lakeside Walk
The Orangery
After 3 hours of exhausting walk round the extensive grounds and gardens, we were ready for our afternoon tea at the elegant The Orangery!
The interiors (Icons of British Fashion)
After our afternoon tea we went inside the Palace, looking forward to seeing the opulent interiors.
However, we found that all the rooms open to the public were taken up by the exhibition of Icons of British Fashion (from 23 March until 30 June 2024).
Somehow mannequins donning 60’s fashion were rather incongruous with the palatial interiors. In fact it could be a disappointment for visitors intending to admire just the paintings and setting.
Nevertheless Blenheim Palace was a fantastic and memorable day out
