Blenheim Palace, Woodstock (Oxfordshire)

...you have never been to Blenheim Palace I hope that my account will inspire you to go, but I also hope to highlight a number of pitfalls that could curb your enjoyment on the day.

A couple of months ago, as I set off with a friend on a whim to make a return visit to Blenheim Palace, I realised that I had not checked the Programme of Events to see if there was anything special happening. This was a mistake. As we turned off the Oxford ...
...of information.

Blenheim Palace is the ancestral home of the Dukes of Marlborough. The 11th Duke and Duchess still live in a private apartment on the premises. Built at the instigation of Queen Anne as a reward for the 1st Duke of Marlborough it was named specifically after the Battle of Blenheim in 1704 where Marlborough had led allied forces to defeat Louis XIV. For those of you with an interest in military history, a little preparatory ... more

It is with mixed feelings that I embark on this review. I want to tell you about a wonderful place I first visited as a child - a massive sumptuous palace in beautiful fairytale surroundings - a stately home whose past occupants have played prominent parts in history. But I also want to share with you some disappointments from a recent visit that fell short of my expectations. If you have never been to Blenheim Palace I hope that my account will inspire you to go, but I also hope to highlight a number of pitfalls that could curb your enjoyment on the day.

A couple of months ago, as I set off with a friend on a whim to make a return visit to Blenheim Palace, I realised that I had not checked the Programme of Events to see if there was anything special happening. This was a mistake. As we turned off the Oxford ring road and headed out towards the village of Woodstock there were temporary signposts to the "Blenheim Music Festival". On arrival at the gates to the grounds, however, the attendants assured us that the event was over and we could visit the palace. The event may have been over but the trappings were still very much in evidence. We were told that Rod Stewart had performed there the day before and everywhere we went there was a feel of the morning after the night before: outdoor stages being dismantled, chairs being stacked, inside furniture not yet returned to its usual positions. It was almost as if we weren't really expected to be there. If I had taken the trouble to look at the website and check the programme of events I would not have chosen to visit that particular weekend.

As it was a few years since I had last visited I was also a little shocked to discover that the summer adult admission price for the palace and grounds was as much as £13 and that a seat on the mini-railway to go to the Pleasure Gardens, a relatively new attraction, would cost a further £3.50. (This may have been a misunderstanding as the literature implies this is included in the admission price, although some of the attractions within the Pleasure Gardens are not). Deciding to forgo the train-ride I opted to buy a souvenir guide for £4 which was well put together and very informative. According to the literature, the £13 admission charge should cover a guided tour of the palace but I only discovered this after returning home and there didn't seem to be an opportunity to join one when we were there so I'm left feeling a little short-changed. Also, an exhibition area in the stables was closed for the weekend of the music festival - so without the guide book we would have been very short of information.

Blenheim Palace is the ancestral home of the Dukes of Marlborough. The 11th Duke and Duchess still live in a private apartment on the premises. Built at the instigation of Queen Anne as a reward for the 1st Duke of Marlborough it was named specifically after the Battle of Blenheim in 1704 where Marlborough had led allied forces to defeat Louis XIV. For those of you with an interest in military history, a little preparatory reading about the War of the Spanish Succession and particularly the Duke of Marlborough's campaigns near its start would probably enhance your enjoyment of your palace visit.

Blenheim Palace also became famous in more recent times as it was the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. The first few rooms inside the palace house a semi-permanent exhibition of many items relating to Sir Winston Churchill's life. I found this slightly disappointing, perhaps because I have been spoiled by a number of excellent museum visits including several recent visits to the Churchill exhibition at Bletchley park. The Blenheim exhibition undoubtedly had many interesting artefacts such as letters written by Churchill during his schooldays and a number of his watercolour paintings, but it seemed to me to lack direction, being cramped and poorly laid out, and there was no-one on hand to answer the inevitable questions that arose as we studied the various documents on display.

In fact, even as we emerged from the exhibition area and proceeded to the main drawing rooms and state rooms of the palace we were astounded at the lack of staff in attendance, on more than one occasion being slightly unnerved to find ourselves quite alone in a room full of priceless items. At least aided by the souvenir guide we had plenty of time to study everything in detail. Whether your interest is in architecture or interior design, furniture or furnishings, china or painting, you'll find plenty on which to feast your eyes within the palace. Particularly memorable are a set of large tapestries depicting the 1st Duke of Marlborough on his various campaigns. In The Long Library, a room that lives up to its name being 180 feet long, we finally found an expert guide willing and able to talk to us and answer our questions. In keeping with our experience of the day, however, the room had been cleared of its usual furnishings "for a function the night before". We moved on to the chapel where an organist was busy at work composing and playing fragments of music as he went.

Conscious that we had already overspent our intended budget for the day, after our tour of the palace, we proceeded to the café looking for something very light for lunch.
We found an overcrowded self-service cafeteria with, in our opinion, overpriced sandwiches and soup. (For the more extravagantly inclined there is a separate waitress-served restaurant). We ate our lunch outside at a table overlooking the water terraces. Pleasant though this was, budget-conscious customers would do better to bring their own picnic to eat in the grounds. Needless to say we were also somewhat resistant to the lure of the various souvenir shops although we did succumb to some Blenheim palace ice cream!

It is easy to underestimate the distances around Blenheim. We were asked to park on grass near the perimeter of the grounds which meant a long walk to and from the car. The car park near to the palace was only in use for the disabled. There are very well-maintained suggested walking routes around the grounds. We undertook the "Garden Circuit" which includes the Arboretum, Diana's temple (where Churchill proposed to his wife), the Rose Garden and the Cascade (a waterfall) and it took us rather more than the published half an hour, partly because we lingered in places, smelling flowers, talking to the gardener or watching the ducks on the lake. A longer walk around the "Queen Pool" includes a one mile circuit around part of the lake and gets closer to sites such as Rosamund's well and the Column of Victory.

We finally drove down to the Pleasure Gardens but it was already getting quite late in the day so we didn't stop. A lot of children seemed to be noisily enjoying themselves using the facilities there which include a maze, an adventure playground, a model village and a putting green, among other things. Another time I would like to make a visit to the Butterfly House, and perhaps see a falconry display, but time did not permit as I was also keen to fit in a visit to Bladon church (where Sir Winston Churchill is buried) before returning home. Some people have commented that without the Pleasure Gardens, Blenheim would not be a good venue for children, but from my own experience I disagree. I loved visiting Blenheim Palace as a child and it saddens me a little to think that the most vivid memories that some of today's child visitors may have of their visit may be of their fun on an adventure playground.

Reflecting on our day, I'd like to summarise my thoughts in the form of some resolutions. Blenheim Palace is a magnificent place, one which I shall continue to visit at intervals, despite my concerns from my most recent experience. It is good to see the venue being used for events but these do impact the experiences of all who visit. Next time I shall take more care to plan my visit. I shall check the Programme of Events and choose a quiet day. I shall do some homework so I can remember some of the relevant history, and bring my souvenir book so I don't need to buy another. I shall arrive early in the morning to make full use of the opening hours. I shall bring a picnic to eat by the lake and as well as seeing the palace and doing the circular walks I shall somehow find time to visit the Butterfly House. Above all, I won't be overtaken by events!

For full details of opening times and admission prices throughout the year + programme of events and other information, please access www.blenheimpalace.com.
I have not reproduced them here as they are quite complicated and liable to change.
Further enquiries:
The Administrator, Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 1PX
Email:administrator@blenheimpalace.com
Tel: 01993 811091
 

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