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Posted on by Rick Steves' Europe

Forget Downton Abbey, Blenheim Palace is #1

I nearly skipped Blenheim Palace this year, thinking that on a gorgeous Sunday in July this palace near Oxford would be a mob scene. It was nearly empty. In fact, I booked a special tour of the private apartments, giving me a 30-minute, behind-the-scenes look at the workings of the palace (£5). I was all alone with my excellent guide. This really is the number-one stately home to see in Britain.

Comments

9 Replies to “Forget Downton Abbey, Blenheim Palace is #1”

  1. Rick,

    Thanks for your interesting post about the castle and its history.
    I didn’t know there were two Churchill’s that saved England.

    It looks like you had great weather.

    Please keep on travelin’!

    Jeff

  2. Hi Rick, I toured this magnificent castle many years ago. It is stated that the ” finest view in England ” is here. Churchill’s bedroom, the magnificent library, and the giant key to the palace front door are unforgettable!

  3. Our Rick Steves tour of Britain visited Blenheim on May 27th. It happened to be the 50th anniversary of Winston Churchill’s death and the place was crowded. A military band marched in the courtyard for several thrilling pieces, the current Duke of Blenheim spoke and a Spitfire WWII plane flew overhead numerous times, doing barrel rolls and flips. Buses were shuttling people to the nearby St. Martin’s Church where Churchill is buried, and our guide Tom Hoppes arranged one just for our group. A very special day! We were proud to share the history and the celebrations with the British people.

  4. Thanks for pointing out alternatives to the over crowded tourist areas, not that so many more are traveling it takes nothing to have to stand in lines for hours.

  5. In June 2014 my Rick Steves tour took us to Blenheim and I LOVED it. It was one of my favs on that 2 week England/Wales tour. Only problem was we had too little time there. I could have spent an entire day or more. I will definitely go back on a future trip. Thanks for highlighting it on your blog Rick.

  6. Yes, on my visit there in Nov 2013, Blenheim was one of the highlights of our trip, paired with our visit to Churchill’s War Rooms in London, we came away with a deep appreciation of Churchill’s contributions to Western Civilization.
    Also, loved Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, a varied collection of antiquities and art, from the Romans through history, as I recall. Very nice.

    Thanks, I enjoy your blog and the others on the Travelers Cafe.
    Judy B
    Atlanta

  7. I was fortunate to be a member of the Varsity Singers of Drexel University touring Europe when we were invited to perform at Churchill’s grave site as the first foreign choir to visit St.Martin’s. The Vicar was thrilled to have us visit and sing and the villager’s gathered to thank us and give us beautiful locally grown flowers. During our tour of Blenheim we were told of the American connection to the family in great detail and I remember seeing the rooms were Churchill was born ans spent time there .The beautiful landscaping on the estate reminded us of vintage Italian landscapes. Every view breathtaking. Otis now over fifty years later and I still smile at the memories.

  9. Don’t miss Churchill’s letter from school to his father – magnificent. His speech changing “A day that shall live in ___” to “a day that shall live in infamy” in his own hand.
    The grounds are a lovely place for a picnic.

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