Built between 1705 and 1724 Blenheim Palace as a gift to John Churchill, first Duke of Marlborough, Blenheim Palace is the only non-Episcopal country house in England to hold the title of palace. Blenheim is one of England’s largest homes and due to its architectural significance was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1987. The palace was designed in the rare English Baroque style which to this day still divides the architectural appreciation as it did in the 1720s. Blenheim Palace is a unique combination of family home, mausoleum and national monument; it is also the birthplace and family home of former Prime Minister Winston Churchill. One of Blenheim Palace’s most popular attractions is the beautifully landscaped parkland created in the 1760s under the eye of Lancelot Brown, a famous English landscape architect more commonly known as “Capability Brown”. The palace sits on 2100 acres and is surrounded by the magnificent lawns as well as amazing formal gardens and the great Lake, giving visitors a wonderful place to spend the day.
The Formal Gardens of Blenheim Palace are a more recent addition and recently won the 2008 Historic Houses Association/Christies Garden of the Year Award. In the 1920s the 9th Duke of Marlborough, with the help French landscape architect Achille Duchene, redesigned the previous gardens into the majestic setting visitors see today. Be sure to visit the Secret Garden in the Formal Gardens, it is a tranquil place with a diverse variety of plants and flowers along with benches that allow you to relax and take in the surroundings. Inside the palace you can take a guided tour of the amazing State Rooms and see the magnificent collections of furniture, tapestries, paintings and porcelain. Visit the “Churchills’ Destiny” exhibit in the stables to learn more the great leader and see the fascinating parallels between his and his ancestor the 1st Duke of Marlborough. Upstairs you can visit the “Blenheim Palace: The Untold Story” experience which brings to life the historical dramatic events which have occurred in the palace from the viewpoint of the household staff. There is also the “Churchill Exhibition”, located in the suite of apartments where he was born, which features a look throughout the life of the great leader.The highlight of many guests visit is the Pleasure Gardens, the perfect place for a family to spend the day. The Pleasure Gardens are linked to the palace by a narrow railway featuring a diesel locomotive pulling three canopied cars; it’s a favorite of both adults and children. The Marlborough Maze is massive and features two high wooden bridges that give you an amazing view; it is also the second largest symbolic hedge maze in the world. Another favorite of both young and old is the Butterfly House. It is home to exotic butterflies that can be seen in free flight as well as a hatchery allowing guests to study the full life cycle.
Although the palace is open to the public, it is still to this day the home of the Dukes of Marlborough. It is currently home for part of the year to John George Vanderbilt Spencer-Churchill, 11th Duke of Marlborough and his family. The Palace & Gardens are open daily from 10:30 am to 5:30 pm and the Park is open daily from 9 am to 4:45pm. Tickets are available for the Palace, Park & Gardens and cost about $28 for adults, $23 for students and seniors over 60 and about $16 for kids 2-16. Family passes are also available for $74 and allow for 2 adults and 2 children of 1 adult and 3 children. If you don’t feel like visiting the palace, tickets for only the Parks & Gardens are available for a little more than half the price. Blenheim Palace is conveniently located only 8 miles from Oxford and is easily accessed by car, bus or train.
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