Blenheim Palace and an aborted trip to Oxford

Wednesday a week ago we decided was the day to head off In our latest rental a Fiat 500,very cute and ideal for tripping around the countryside. It is just over an hour's drive from Duston to Oxford and we thought we would do a full day trip, and take in Blenheim Palace on the way. Jessica had checked the forecast and she didn't think it looked flash but we decided to take the risk. Weather forecasts are not always accurate.

Andrew needed a ride to work that day as Jessica was taking the car to Leicester, and it was on our way so we set off just after 8am. We decided to go to Blenheim Palace first and then thought we would spend the rest of the day in Oxford, have a meal and return later in the evening.

As we pulled into the entrance to the Palace the first spots of rain started, and it turned cold and miserable. Our plan had been to walk around the garden/ park areas first as entry to the palace wasn't until 10:30am. So we made a made a dash the pleasure gardens, decked out in our raincoats and made a soggy trek around the area. There were interesting museum/sheds showing how early life had been for the gardeners, a large lavender garden, a butterfly house and an exhibition about the One Oak project which we found very interesting. The One Oak Tree website says that "We are bringing people closer to growing trees for wood, by following the full life story of one oak tree.". The 800 old year oak that was chosen for the project came from this estate. The tree has been studied, measured and then taken down. All parts of the tree have been used and some sculpture and furniture were being exhibited. To complete the cycle acorns had been grown and planted out by children to replace it. Further info is on their website if you are interested in following this project.

OneOak Project • following the life story of one oak tree



We then made a dash for the Palace and once inside at least it was warm and dry. This is the home of the 11th Duke and Duchess of Marlborough, it is the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill and a World Heritage Site.

Stately homes in England, Historic Houses and Days out Oxfordshire

We started with a tour, and our guide was playing out the role of the Head Gardener's wife (early 1900s period). She was meant to give us a tour with 'a below stairs' perspective and in particular the garden but as it was so wet it was all done from undercover looking out at the various parts of the castle and gardens. She was very informative and played her role well.

We then self guided ourselves through the rest of the Palace. There was a large exhibition dedicated to Winston Churchhill. He was born here (you see the actual bed)and even though it was his uncle that was the Duke Winston spent a good deal of time here, in during his childhood, with his Grandmother. The family tree clearly explained how the Churchill and the Spencer families are related. The Duke's surname is still Spencer-Churchill. The 1st Duke(John Churchill) had no male heir and so it went to his daughter. She remained childless so it was then passed to her nephew, a Spencer. The Churchill name was then lost for several generations and it was only bought back by the 5th Duke under Royal Licence.

The second exhibition was the Untold Stories of the Palace and a "virtual lady’s maid invites you to immerse yourself in the illustrious family history, seen through the eyes of the household staff. Meet some of the more colourful characters such as the wilful 1st Duchess of Marlborough and listen to tales of dramatic events that affected the lives of all who have lived here.". This tour is audio visual using the latest technologies and visual effects to guide you through 7 - 8 rooms. Finally we visited the state rooms and these were never built to live in but be a show place. Such wealth but certainly not what we could ever imagine or want for that manner.

We made our way back to the car, only to find that we were jammed in and there was no way we were going to be leaving until at least one car moved first. By this stage we were cold and my feet and shoes were very wet so we sat in the car, ate our picnic lunch intended for enjoying under a tree or by the river in Oxford, waited for a space to get out and then headed back to Duston for some warmth. Oxford would have to wait for another time.

This is a very well worth place to visit but you need a fine day and plenty of time to explore the trails and parks. This property is not part of the National Trust and entrance tickets are expensive (especially if you are converting pounds to NZ$). If you are visiting more than one of these "Treasure Houses" of England you can get a voucher for 2 for 1 entry which does help. Chatsworth and Woburn both come into this category.

Posted with Blogsy