One of my birthday requests was a pass to Blenheim Palace. I desperately want to go at Christmas sometime when they have it all decorated and there is a Christmas market and skating rink on the grounds; and we also really want to visit the gardens throughout the seasons, so while we were in Oxfordshire, we picked up a family pass and visited the palace in Autumn.
Both Mark and I had been to Blenheim Palace over 20 years ago on a university art trip and it left an impression on us both, so we were very excited to revisit it with the girls. The drive and walk up to the palace are quite epic. Though I don’t love the gravel, car park look of the front.
And then you are greeted with a strange view above the front door.
I never did figure out why these eyes are there.
We arrived at Blenheim Sunday morning just as the palace doors opened for visitors. We were sad however to realize that the entryway is under major construction to repair the roof so it is not the grand entrance you would wish.
But there is a tour throughout the lower level sharing about the history of the palace, the crazy battle between the duchess of the house and the architects, and also about Winston Churchill’s birth and upbringing here.
One of many quotes on the walls describing the process of building the palace and gardens.
I could have tried to get a picture of each room on display, but it was already getting quite crowded with rather pushy tourists, so we just enjoyed walking through and reading what information plaques we could.
I was particularly drawn to the staged mice around each room, I’m guessing part of a scavenger hunt tour for kids; but I found them incredibly amusing to spot.
Some were easy to spot, like this one climbing the side of a hallway clock.
But others were more difficult and I nearly missed this one until Genevieve pointed it out in the middle of the chandelier.
If I spotted real mice in the palace, I would not find them nearly as charming; but these felted ones in their servant clothing are just so delightful.
If you were hoping for a detailed account of the Blenheim Palace tour, sorry to disappoint you. I did enjoy it, but it clearly didn’t catch my eye or stick in my head as much as these little mice figures. Ha!
I do love all the fabric wallpaper in old palaces like this. So elegant and dramatic. And all the paintings! Blenheim has a collection of landscape paintings Winston Churchill made as well. Very interesting to see as I know that was a keen hobby of his.
More little mice to be seen amongst the furnishings and outfits on display.
These three were a particular favorite, but it may also have been the chair.
Those first several rooms were lovely, but it was a lot of information to read and I kept getting confused which duchess we were talking about and who made what decision about the house. It is quite a drama between the first Mrs. Churchill and the architects and even the Queen at the time (Victoria).
But this room did demand my attention. This is the ceiling!
The lower portion was under construction and preservation, but wow. Paintings covered every inch of this room. All those columns… those are paintings!
And then the girls were quite obsessed with this dress of Queen Elizabeth’s. They both borrowed my phone and I now have about 25 photos of every angle of this beautiful dress.
And then we came to my favorite room of the palace: the library. It was truly stunning.
A little bit of Beauty and the Beast vibes for me. I didn’t remember this room and it truly wowed me.
There was a royal family photography exhibit on display throughout the huge library and it was a true delight to see! I especially loved this one of Queen Elizabeth II.
And this one where Princess Anne was caught climbing out a window. Prince Charles is trying to catch her and Queen Elizabeth II is attempting to limit the damage.
I just love it so!
What an absolutely stunning room.
And then we were out of the palace exhibit and entering the grounds… but first we stopped into one of the exhibits in the basement servants’ quarters. It was a detailed account of Winston Churchill’s life. It was very interesting, including pictures of him as a child and his boyhood sailor suit even. This painting was the only one I wanted to capture. I love the way it is displayed on the exhibit walls and the quick, unfinished quality of the watercolor is really lovely.
I forgot to capture the details of the painter. Oops.
On to the grounds, which are truly a highlight.
We were still coming out of the affects of the drought in the UK this summer, so I imagine it is even more lush after the usual rain.
A lovely side bit of Blenheim Palace.
We grabbed some lunch at one of the cafes on the grounds and then we walked down to explore the extensive gardens.
Still a lot of brown patches, but the gardens are recovering well.
We walked through the rose garden and sunflower patches and arrived at the other thing I remembered the most clearly from 20 years ago… the hedge maze.
Thankfully it was just as impressive as I remembered.
The girls had an absolute blast trying to help us navigate through it. It really is a bit tricky.
There are two observation towers in the center that you can get your bearings and try to find the exit. And you get this super cool view.
The center hedges spell out Blenheim!
We then made our way to the secret part of the palace grounds that would be the real treat for our girls having endured the palace tour with us. They have an immense play area you have to enter through a private gate. It is really huge with zip lines, play structures, splash pads and picnic tables. It was packed with kids and families everywhere, so I never tried to get a good photo. Mark and I chilled at a picnic table while the girls explored for an hour or so. I’m so thrilled they both still love playgrounds.
Once they had a pretty good run of it, we got some ice cream and began the walk back to the palace.
We stopped in the butterfly garden and I was dazzled by this one in particular.
I don’t think of butterflies as black and white.
It’s about a 10 minute walk back to the palace and we stopped at another of the cafes and had a cream tea before the drive home.
The drive out of the palace was long and winding and afforded some spectacular views as well. This lake and the tower in the far background are all part of the Blenheim Palace grounds too.
A final look back at the palace as we drove out.
And thus concludes our Oxfordshire weekend. It was about a two hour drive home where we made a simple dinner and prepped bags and lunches for school and the new week. A lovely first autumn weekend with beautiful weather. 💚