Blenheim Palace
The only palace in Britain named after a non-royal, non-episcopal residence, the birthplace of Winston Churchill. Its Baroque architecture and gardens are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Blenheim Palace lies in Woodstock, about 13 km northwest of Oxford. Queen Anne commissioned it to honor John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, for defeating the French at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704. It was designed by John Vanbrugh and built between 1705 and 1722. It is one of Britain's largest Baroque residences and was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1987. Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who led Britain in World War II, was born here in 1874. The palace has a Churchill exhibition and the room where he was born. Highlights include the magnificently gilded State Rooms, the Long Library and the chapel, as well as the 800-hectare landscaped park designed by “Capability” Brown, the Italian Garden, the Water Terraces, the Rose Garden, a maze and the monumental bridge over the Great Lake. Admission to the palace, gardens and grounds costs about 35–40 pounds, and you can upgrade the same day to an annual pass. The S3 bus from Oxford city center takes about 30 minutes. It can be combined with the eastern part of the Cotswolds (Burford and Oxford) in one day.
Opening hours
Palace approx. 10:30–17:30; gardens approx. 09:00–18:00 (check official website)
Nearby sights
- Port Meadow
- Keble College, Oxford
- Ashmolean Museum
- Oxford Castle & Prison
- Oxford University Museum of Natural History
- University Parks
- Pitt Rivers Museum
- Carfax Tower