On Thursday the 22nd of September we bought tickets at 1:15 in the afternoon for our look at the Palace and gardens. We did not purchase the tour of the interior of the Palace. In 2004 we toured the Palace with our daughter. Earlier on this day we walked to an unadvertised entrance to the grounds that is always open to try to walk on a path around the Queen Pool to get to the Harry Potter Tree but the path was closed because the pool and lake were being dredged to remove silt. More on our morning adventure in another post. After the morning walk which was a long one we went back to our hotel and freshened up. We returned to the King’s Arms for lunch and then walked back to the Palace for our self-guided tour.

Blenheim Palace, near Oxford, stands in a romantic park created by the famous landscape gardener ‘Capability’ Brown. It was presented by the English nation to John Churchill, first Duke of Marlborough, in recognition of his victory in 1704 over French and Bavarian troops. Built between 1705 and 1722 and characterized by an eclectic style and a return to national roots, it is a perfect example of an 18th-century princely dwelling.

Blenheim Palace is a country house in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England. It is the seat of the Dukes of Marlborough and the only non-royal, non-episcopal country house in England to hold the title of palace.

Blenheim Palace was always one of Churchill’s favourite places. He spent much of his time as a child there, both before he went to school and during school holidays. His parents were often away, busy with their political and social lives, and his grandparents, the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough, often looked after him and his brother, Jack, allowing them to play in the Palace and its Great Park.

If you are interested in more history of this beautiful palace and it’s grounds there are many sites on the internet for that information. I’ll have a couple more posts featuring our walk to the Harry Potter Tree and the gardens.

Back to the Present: Today is Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, Pancake Tuesday. I’m making pancakes for our main meal with a side of eggs and Kielbasa. Heading to the market to pick up some buttermilk for buttermilk pancakes. Celebrating with our British friends. Cheers!