As I was planning my trip to Oxford, I stumbled across Blenheim Palace in my research. A huge, fancy country house? Sign me up.
Located not far from Oxford (about a 20 minute cab ride), Blenheim Palace is home to the Duke of Marlborough. Though it’s dubbed a “palace,” royals don’t live there; however, it’s still damn fancy regardless. It also happens to be where Winston Churchill was born, and as such, is home to a pretty comprehensive exhibit on Churchill’s life.
^^ Churchill’s toy soldiers
My favorite part of Blenheim was the library: tall shelves, a high domed ceiling, and many colorful books. Add in a fancy Christmas garland and isn’t it perfect?
After touring the house, I made my way out into the gardens. They were beautiful and vast, and I was excited to explore them. One minor problem: it was insanely, insanely windy. Like, blown off balance, face turning red from the bitter cold windy. It all looks so sunny in my pictures! But, trust me, the photos are a lie, and I only wound up walking through a fraction of what I wanted to.
Blenheim Palace was not, in truth, the most riveting of destinations. The palace’s rooms were beautiful (if relatively unremarkable), the Churchill exhibit was worth a look, and the grounds were definitely lovely. I found it worth my time, but it didn’t blow me away. Other than, you know, the wind, which literally did. Perhaps a visit in non-Arctic blast conditions would do the trick?
