Immerse yourself in Blenheim Palace gardens with a host of new experiences and activities

Visitors to Blenheim Palace this summer can immerse themselves in a new range of activities and experiences which bring even more life and colour to the stunning Formal Gardens at Britain’s Greatest Palace.

Alongside the ongoing transformation of the gardens, led by Head Gardener Andy Mills, visitors can now enjoy walking tours, painting demonstrations and a striking exhibition which celebrates the work of one of Britain’s most accomplished sculptors.

Some of the newest features for visitors to look out for include:

  • From Monday June 2nd, visitors can enjoy free daily and weekly walking tours of the gardens, all included in their ticket admission.
    • Formal Gardens Tour. Every day at 11am, there is the chance to explore key features of the Formal Gardens, learning about 300 years of history as you go. led by one of Blenheim Palace’s expert guides, you will venture through the ages, past the Temple of Diana, explore the Churchill Memorial Garden, visit the stunning Rose Garden and make your way to the Grand Cascade. Meeting point – Formal Gardens entrance.
    • Blenheim Walled Garden Walking Tour. At 2pm every day, join an entertaining and thought-inspiring walking tour with several stops around the Formal Gardens and Walled Garden area, accompanied by one of the Palace’s knowledgeable guides. Meeting point – Flagstaff gate.
    • Introductions to the Gardens. Every Wednesday from 4th June at 11am, join Andy Mills, Blenheim Palace’s Head Gardener, or one of his Gardens team, for a 30-minute Introduction to the Gardens talk on the Lower Water Terraces.
  • Woodstock watercolour artist Rod Craig will be giving monthly painting demonstrations in the gardens throughout the summer months – on Tuesday June 10th, Tuesday July 8th and Tuesday August 5th
  • Acclaimed watercolour artist Leslie Stroz will be following in the footsteps and brushstrokes of Winston Churchill when she paints live from the gardens at Blenheim Palace on Thursday June 12th.
  • The Walled Garden boasts not only a new extension to its Kitchen Garden, but until September 14th it hosts A Conference of Birds, a stunning new exhibition from acclaimed sculptor Bridget McCrum
  • The now completed new rockery at the accessible entrance above the Water Terraces – created to reflect the larger one above Capability Brown’s Grand Cascade at the lower end of the main lake
  • A new ‘Cherry avenue’ path to the Rosarium, where Andy Mills has introduced 46 new varieties of rose this season, the start of the journey to return the Rosarium back to its intended design and former glory of the early 1800s. New rose varieties include Reine des Violettes, Perle D’or, Nuits de Young, Alberic Barbier, Goldfinch, Felicite Perpetue and Variegata de Bologna to name a few.
  • The Potager Garden will once again be a riot of colour this summer, with not only its annual display of dahlias, but a new ‘hot border’ containing the likes of cannas, hedychiums, bananas, yuccas, salvias, fremontodendrons and a myriad other exciting tropical-looking gems.
  • Churchill’s Walk has been planted with over 3,000 alliums, set to explode with colour around Easter
  • Visitors to the popular Butterfly House will notice an updated entrance lobby, and more feeding stations throughout to increase the chances to see up close its colourful inhabitants
  • A hidden gem beyond Chambers Gate, the Bothy Pond has undergone extensive work as part of the plan to create a ‘jungle garden’ and make this corner of Blenheim Palace’s gardens a real destination
  • The Croquet Lawn has been marked out ready for a game in the Duke’s private Italian Garden

Head Gardener Andy Mills commented: “There is so much going on at the moment – every visit to Blenheim Palace’s gardens offers something new. I’d also encourage visitors to go off the beaten track and take one of the mowed paths we’ve created into the wildflower grasslands, where they’ll see a stunning sea of primulas, cowslips and drifts of violets.”

To book tickets for Blenheim Palace, Park and Gardens: www.blenheimpalace.com/tickets-booking/

ENDS

Issued on behalf of Blenheim Palace. For more information please contact Jon Perks at Cab Campaign – estate@cabcampaign.co.uk

About Blenheim Palace

Home to the Dukes of Marlborough since 1705, Blenheim Palace was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. Set in over 2,000 acres of ‘Capability’ Brown landscaped park and gardens, it was designed by Vanbrugh in the Baroque style and is also the birthplace of one of Britain’s most famous leaders, Sir Winston Churchill.

With over 300 years of history to share and one of the most important and extensive collections in Europe, the magnificent stately home has a rich variety of cultural highlights and an extensive programme of special events and exhibitions.

The total Estate expands into a further 10,000 acres outside of the designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and focuses on care for the land through sustainable means, pursuing net zero, the growth of the local economy, the provision of affordable homes, apprenticeship training and supported community groups as part of its ambition to make this part of Oxfordshire a fairer and better place.