Thursday, October 18, 2012

A Sunday Stroll at Blenheim Palace

After spending a Saturday exploring Shakespeare's birthplace,
we spent Sunday exploring the birthplace of another amazing Englishman...
Winston Churchill.


Blenheim Palace was built in Oxfordshire in the early 1700's.  It was (partially) built for John Churchill, the 1st Duke of Marlborough in honor of his great military service.  


The English Baroque estate has been the home of the Duke of Marlborough through the generations.
It is currently home to the 11th Duke and his family.  

In 1874, Winston Churchill's parents who are relatives of the family happened to be visiting
the estate when his mother went into labor a few weeks early.  
Did you know his mother was American?


We paid £20 each to tour the interior which is a bit expensive.  It was interesting and beautiful,
but it did feel a little odd to be handing over such a large sum of money to tour a private home.  They've put together an audiovisual experience that was a little silly.  

But, I am glad we stopped.  You have to see these grounds.  
They are just gorgeous and you can visit the gardens and grounds for only £11.
I even got to wear my butterfly wellies to avoid the mud!!

No pictures were allowed inside, so let's just take a walk around the grounds.  



 




 




 

 














I love this picture because of the white sheep dotting the hill.

I know it's a lot of pictures, but it was such a fun place to photograph
and I just couldn't narrow it down. 

I hope you enjoyed our photo stroll. 

xoxo
Selena




3 comments:

  1. Your photos are beautiful. I felt exactly the same about the entrance fee, and I have to say it has been one of our least favorite outings so far. There wasn't much to grab the kids' attention, and the rainy weather when we visited didn't help. The grounds were beautiful though. I think if I visited again, I would just buy the ticket for the gardens and grounds.

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  2. What an amazing collection of photos! They are beautiful... I have never been to Blenheim Palace but it sure does look amazing :) Wow!

    *waves hello* from a new follower, Hazel x

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  3. I totally sympathize with the entrance fee for folks that have travelled some distance. But I will say as that someone local to Blenheim, it's actually one of the best values around. They have an annual pass program where you can convert your ticket into a pass for the year. So, £20 for unlimited visits for a year is a great deal (and under 5s are free). We easily go about once a month, more in the summer when the weather is nice. And they have LOADS of activities that keep my little one entertained. It's one of our favorite days out. If you still have your ticket stub, you may be able to still convert it to the annual pass if you think you might want to come back in the next year. Just check their website for details.

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