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BLENHEIM PALACE
Walk a mile in Winston Churchill’s slippers

Large estates in England have become entertainment industries of themselves over time as tourist attractions and family activity centers for concerts, contests and events. It’s almost hard to imagine in modern times that great palaces with gift shops, concession stands and concert stages on the lawn were once homes to one family, but Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire still is.

Blenheim Palace, ancestral home of the Duke of Marlborough and before that, site of the country getaway cottage of the Plantagenet kings of Woodstock, where Henry II rendezvous’d for romantic trysts with his mistress Rosamund and also where Edward the Black Prince was conceived and born to Edward III and his young Queen Philippa (see also FROM TRAITOR'S GATE TO MORTIMER'S HOLE), is one of those magnificent palaces of English heritage, a must visit for royal tourism house hunters. Located about 40 minutes from Oxford, Blenheim occupies a massive grounds with many beautiful gardens, offering walks by pools and lakes, along with historic displays and sheduled activities.

The early 18th Century palace designed by Sir John Vanbrugh, one of Britain’s grandest examples of Baroque architecture was built by the English Parliament as a gift to John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, for his victory in 1704 over the French and Bavarians at the Battle of Blenheim and was the birthplace of Winston Churchill a few centuries later. An exhibit of the histories of both great men is presented and Winston’s smoking jacket and slippers are on display in one of the small anteroom, waiting as if he might return one day (see also Churchill Museum Cabinet War Rooms).

Guided tours of the palace are available or wander around on your own. Tours of the private apartments where the current Duke and his family still live are available for an extra charge during the summer months. “Blenheim Bygones” is an exhibition located in the Pleasure Gardens displaying tools and machines necessary to run a great estate in the Victorian era. There is also a maze and an adventure playground for the kids, who may not have the same interest in old royalty antiques as their parents. A rideable train runs between the gardens and the main house. The palace also hosts a variety of special events from February to December, including music concerts, car rallies, craft fairs and even a jousting tournament. Check the official website for up-to-date events information.

Blenheim Palace was designated as a world heritage site in 1987 and entrance is included with the Great British Heritage pass available for non-UK residents. The Great British Heritage pass provides entry to about 150 historic sights around Great Britain for one price. For UK tourists or frequent return visits, the Palace offers season tickets to the palace, park and events. © Bargain Travel Europe

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