10 Things to Do at Blenheim Palace

How does learning about 300 years of history and exploring 2000 acres of beautiful parkland and gardens sound to you? If it sounds like something you’d enjoy doing, then you definitely need to put Blenheim Palace onto your bucket list. 

In this post I’ll summarise some of the best things that you shouldn’t miss when visiting this majestic palace.

If you’d like to see our walk, then make sure to watch our YouTube video linked below.

About Blenheim Palace

Located less than half an hour north of Oxford, Blenheim Palace is the only non-royal house in England that boasts the title of palace. It’s also one of the 32 recognised UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the UK. 

The 18th Century Baroque palace was a gift to the 1st Duke of Marlborough from Queen Anne and was designed by John Vanbrugh. The Palace is also the birthplace of Winston Churchill. The Palace’s landscaped park was designed later by Capability Brown and is considered a naturalistic ‘Versailles’. The Gardens of the Palace are split into Formal and Pleasure Gardens and are absolutely stunning. 

Today, the Palace is still the actual home of the 12th Duke of Marlborough as it has been for all the other Dukes in the past 300 years. However, over the years the Palace has been used as a hospital during World War I and as a boy’s school during World War II.  The 10th Duke of Marlborough opened it to the public in 1950.

Therefore, the Palace is a national monument, a mausoleum and also an active family home. This different combination of uses makes Blenheim Palace even more unique. 

Did you know? – Blenheim Palace received a Green Tourism Gold Award. With a score of 88% the Palace is also one of the best performing Green Tourism members.

Entry Fee to Blenheim Palace

I have to admit, I winced when I saw how much the ticket cost to enter the Palace! 

If you’d like to visit the Palace, the Park and Gardens it costs £38 per adult and £22 for children. Entry to only the Park and Gardens costs £28 per adult and £13.50 for children. 

Since Blenheim Palace supports green travel, if you arrive by sustainable modes of transport, you can get a 20% discount on your entry which is amazing! Make sure to plan your journey with Trainline if you journey in this way. They also provide information on bus fares. For those arriving by car, the Palace has a massive car park too. 

Another amazing deal Blenheim Palace offers to its visitors is that they automatically donate your Palace, the Park and Gardens ticket to Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation Charity, and you will receive an annual pass in return. This is an incredible offer, especially if you live close to the area. You can check the tickets and discounts on their website.

Even though it’s an expensive day out I think it’s still worth a visit. 

10 things to do at Blenheim Palace

Believe me, there’s plenty to see and do at Blenheim Palace. Therefore, I highly suggest either planning to spend an entire day there or at least a good 4 hours. Also, if you’d like to enjoy some food with a great view then definitely take a picnic with you. 

1. Take a Tour in the Palace

Even though the Palace is an active family home, some parts of it are open to visitors. You can learn about the hundreds of years of history while walking through the State Rooms and admiring the beautiful interior. Through photographs, letters, diaries and other elements you can also learn about Churchill’s life at the Churchill Exhibition. 

We decided to only purchase the Park and Garden ticket; therefore we didn’t have a chance to check out the interior of the Palace. However, I saw some amazing photos and if you have a chance, make sure you buy the ticket.

2. Explore the Formal Gardens

The 150 acres of award-winning Formal Gardens that surround Blenheim Palace are definitely a must see. 

I would highly recommend spending a good couple of hours truly exploring these gardens. See below for some of the areas you cannot miss when walking around.

Italian Garden

Since it’s the Duke’s private garden you can view it but unfortunately cannot walk around it. However, it’s still very beautiful and you can take some really good Instagram photos. 

Water Terraces

The Water Terraces were designed by the French landscape architect Achille Duchêne under the supervision of the 9th Duke of Marlborough. Located over two levels, they provide you with some fantastic photo opportunities and views of both the Palace and the Great Lake.

Rose Garden

The Rose Garden was created with the support of the 7th Duke of Marlborough. In order to protect the area, his gardener installed the circular fence which you see today. 

Top Tip – You can get a fantastic view of the Great Lake at the furthest arch, which will be a great framing option for a photo.

Secret Garden

When Blenheim Palace opened to visitors, the 10th Duke commissioned a ‘Private Garden’ where he could enjoy some privacy within the ‘jungle’ of plants, trees, pools and streams. Today it is now called the ‘Secret Garden’ and opened to the public in 2004. Luckily the garden was designed to provide something for everyone, no matter which season you are walking around in.

3. Visit the Pleasure Gardens

Even though it’s more for families, I still recommend checking out the Pleasure Gardens. It has a Butterfly House, a Maze, a Lavender Garden and an Adventure Playground. If you’re here with kids then definitely hop onto the Miniature Train, running between the Palace and Pleasure Gardens. 

Top Tip – If you’ve forgotten your picnic, then check out the Pleasure Gardens Pizza Café. The prices are relatively wallet friendly and who doesn’t like a pizza and ice cream deal?

Butterfly House

Would you like to see butterflies from all over the world? Then definitely pay a visit to the Butterfly House which has some exotic species from Malaysia, Thailand and even the Philippines. Unfortunately, the Butterfly House was still closed at the time of our visit, therefore make sure you check Blenheim Palace’s official website prior to your visit for any updates.

Marlborough Maze

The 1.8 acres Marlborough Maze is considered one of the largest hedge mazes in the world. I highly recommend not missing it if you visit the Palace. Unfortunately, the maze was also closed at the time of our visit, therefore make sure you also check Blenheim Palace’s official website before your visit.

Did you know? – Apparently it can take a good week and about 6 people to trim the hedges of the maze!

4. Spot the Penny Farthing Bicycle

Make sure you watch out for Mr. Phoebus cycling around the Palace grounds on his unique Victorian Penny Farthing Bike. As you can see on the video, he even blew us a kiss which definitely made my day and took the whole experience at the Palace up a notch. 

5. Admire the view of/from the Grand Bridge

Designed by Vanbrugh, the bridge isn’t just a fantastic structure providing access over the lakes, but it’s also the perfect viewing platform from where you can admire Blenheim Palace and its natural surroundings. 

Of course, if you’re on the bridge you won’t see the bridge itself. So, I recommend you take the path that circles around the Great Lake and head towards the ‘Harry Potter Tree’. (Yes, that’s right! There’s a tree called ‘Harry Potter Tree’ which you can read about further down). From there you’ll be treated with a fantastic view of the Grand Bridge, the Great Lake and Blenheim Palace so make sure you don’t skip it!

6. Walk to the Column of Victory

After walking across the Grand Bridge, head towards the Column of Victory. It’s quite a trek but you’ll have a beautiful view of Blenheim Palace if you look back. 

The 41m high column with the statue of the 1st Duke of Marlborough on the top was completed in 1730. 

Did you know? – The lightning conductor that runs the whole length of the column is tested by steeplejacks every 10 years. I bet they have a pretty epic view from the top of the column!

7. Hire a Rowing Boat

Do you fancy doing something amazing and seeing Blenheim Palace and its grounds from a different point of view? If so, then make sure you head over to the Boathouse and row around the lake in a boat.

You can hire the boat for half an hour which costs £25. Each boat takes up to 4 adults. In addition, you can also consider hiring a SUP or a kayak for £20 each.

Since they only operate between July and September, it’s best to pre-book your boat hire on LiveFree Adventures website.

8. Spot the Iconic Filming Locations

Okay, I think it’s obvious that a Palace and gardens of this size and beauty would attract many film makers. So, if you’re into TV-shows and movies I have good news. You will find many, I mean many, filming locations in and around Blenheim Palace. Some of them are more obvious than others but here’s a quick list of some of the very popular ones:

• James Bond – Spectre;
• Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation;
• TV Series: The Royals.
• Cinderella;
• A Little Chaos;
• Gulliver’s Travels;
• The Young Victoria;
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix;
• The Libertine;
• The Lost Prince;
• The Four Feathers;
• Hamlet;
• Black Beauty;
• Sherlock Holmes: Without a Clue;
• Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years;
• History of the World, Part1;
• Young Winston;
• Half a Sixpence.

Have fun locating them!

9. Check out the ‘Harry Potter Tree’

The Cedar of Lebanon tree, also known as the ‘Harry Potter Tree’, is definitely an iconic feature of Blenheim Palace. If you’re a big Harry Potter fan you probably know and have been to all Harry Potter related locations already. However, if you can’t quite recall the scene with this exact tree in it let me refresh your memory. The tree was used in ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’ as one of the locations in the Snape’s memory sequence.

Since the tree is very old, it’s at a high risk of collapsing. (Like the ancient Yew tree did in Hertfordshire, also known as ‘the Whomping Willow’ from Harry Potter). Since it’s the last remaining Harry Potter Tree, as part of a conservation project, the Forestry Team managed to stabilise it in 2016.

10. Take a walk around the lakes

If you enjoy a lovely walk in nature then definitely walk around either Queen Pool or the Great Lake. Or why not do both? 

The Queen Pool walk is a 1.5mile (2.5km) trail and can take a good 45 minutes. The Great Lake trail is only 0.75 miles (1.2km). They’re both accessible for wheelchair and buggy users and also dog friendly.

Additional things to do around Blenheim Palace

There is so much to do around Blenheim Palace. So, if you have more time, you should definitely explore the beautiful Cotswolds. If you enjoy visiting some buzzing towns, I prepared a blog post about 8 of the most beautiful ones which you can read by clicking here. However, if you prefer some peace and quiet you need to visit the Cotswolds’ most picturesque sleepy villages. 

There are some other amazing places you should put onto your bucket list such as Bath and Bristol. You can also climb Cheddar Gorge, visit Glastonbury – a famous festival destination – or the smallest city in England, Wells. I prepared a blog post about these places which you can read by clicking here. 

Final Thoughts on Blenheim Palace

Have you ever been to Blenheim Palace before? Which was your favourite area of the Palace? Let me know in the comments below.