Bigger or Better?

Which is best? Maybe both? In this case Blenheim Palace is home to the Charles James (Jamie) Spencer-Churchill, 12th Duke of Marlborough and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is probably most well known for the being the birthplace of Winston Churchill though he never lived there. He was quite fond of it and visited often. In fact, he proposed to his wife, Clementine in one of the gardens.

Winston has family ties to the Duke of Marlborough. While his mother was pregnant, she was attending a dinner at the palace and went into labor prematurely. She had to deliver Winston at the palace because there was no time to travel home. You can visit the room where he was born along with an entire room dedicated to some of the art pieces he created. Princess Diana also has family ties to the Duke of Marlborough.

Touring inside of the palace is spectacular! The tapestries alone are worth the visit to see these beautiful pieces of art. It is an awe-inspiring experience for visitors. with over 2000 acres (90 acres of award-winning formal gardens) to explore. There are activities for the wee ones too. The gift shop is not your typical tourist trap. The number of items are vast. Everything from scotch to bath products to jewelry and more. You could easily spend an hour just looking around.

This was my second trip to visit Blenheim, and on this trip we scheduled an afternoon tea at Clementine’s on the Lawn. We were so impressed as we sat in the middle of this enormous lawn behind the palace and took in the beauty all around us - glass walls on every side. The cost of the tea was reasonable at £32 per person, especially since it was an upscale menu with unique surroundings. The clotted cream was the BEST I had on this trip to UK. They also offer Sunday Roasts.

When doing a day trip outside of London, definitely consider spending a few hours at Blenheim Palace if you are traveling to Oxford or the Cotswolds. It’s a splendid drive and the natural vistas of grandeur surround you in every direction.