Discovering 300 years of history at Blenheim Palace

Located in the picturesque town of Woodstock in Oxfordshire, Blenheim Palace is a World Heritage Site with exquisite gardens, a lake and the house itself – one of the largest and most impressive in England. For over 300 years it has been the principal residence of the Dukes of Marlborough, and is the current home of the 12th Duke and his family. It was a crisp sunny day as we arrived after a 90-minute drive from Bristol, and my eight-year-old daughter was full of questions before we even got out of the car: “Does the Queen live here?”

She soon learnt that this palace was actually the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill (with a quick history lesson about who he was) and the guides were very welcoming to us as a whole family. Having a six-month-old baby in a pram was a slight challenge when it came to some access, but staff were always on hand to help us and we were shown alternative routes that would be easier to manoeuvre. I especially loved the way all of the staff answered my daughter’s questions with such enthusiasm.

The Great Court, where visitors are surrounded on three sides by the huge building

After first looking around The Great Court, we started with The Palace State Rooms – which were so grand, my husband couldn’t stop taking photos. It was a true honour to be able to walk around the areas we were allowed in and take in the magnificent colours, textures and ornaments on display. The Palace is home to one of the most important and extensive collections in Europe and this includes portraits, furniture, sculpture and tapestries.

The opulent Palace State Rooms contain an incredible range of furnishings and paintings

With the option of a thorough audio guide as well as the expertise of the guides dotted around the rooms, we learned that Blenheim Palace was built as a gift to John Churchill, the 1st Duke of Marlborough. He was gifted land that had previously been a royal deer park by Queen Anne, as a thank you from the nation for his victory at the Battle of Blenheim on August 13 1704.

We took our time wandering through the sumptuous rooms. There was also an extensive and very enjoyable exhibition about Winston Churchill, who was born at Blenheim Palace in 1874, to take in.

The majestic Water Terraces

We stopped at the Water Terrace Café for some lunch (they accommodated my dietary needs very easily) and enjoyed a sit down before we looked around some of the stunning Formal Gardens, which cover 150 acres surrounding the Palace. The majestic terraces of sculptures and fountains had my daughter in awe, and she loved peeking into the delicate Rose Garden, where pink blooms climb the trellises in summer.

It was simply breathtaking to walk around the expansive ground. Our baby son smiled when he heard the birds in the trees chirping away, and my daughter was very excited to see pheasants running around too.

I especially liked the Secret Garden with its winding paths and hidden ponds, and it got me telling my daughter about the storybook with the same title. The Duke’s Private Italian Garden was also very impressive, and the fact that the centrepiece sculpture was made in Rome and then flown to this particular garden fascinated my daughter.

The Secret Garden contains hidden pools and winding pathways through the greenery

You can easily spend a whole day at Blenheim and still not see everything, but if you have little ones make sure you see visit the Pleasure Gardens, which include an adventure playground, the Marlborough Maze and the Butterfly House. A Victorian funfair is also running throughout the Easter holidays, to Monday, April 22 2019.

With so much to see, make sure you get to Blenheim Palace early in the day so you can really enjoy every aspect of this historic place.

A family pass to Blenheim Palace (two adults and two children) costs £65.50. Children under five go for free. Visit www.blenheimpalace.com for more details about prices and discounts.