| I’ve previously discussed our tour of the interior of Blenheim Palace, a magnificent country extate in Oxfordshire. Blenheim Palace is best known as the seat of the Dukes of Marlborough and as the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. Today’s post focuses on the formal gardens and extensive parklands that are part of this estate, which span an impressive 2,100 acres.
The gardens were mostly designed and constructed in the early 18th century, with future enhancements. Together with Blenheim Palace they form a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here are some of the key features we explored:   Formal gardens are located adjacent to the Palace: These were laid out in 1705 and contain fountains, statues, and overlook Long Water Lake.
Rose Garden: Has over 3000 rose bushes of more than 150 varieties. 
Churchill Memorial Garden, a more recent addition, built around the spot where Sir Winston proposed to his wife.
This small but impressive Temple held special meaning to Churchill, as it is where he “popped the question”.  As you might expect, grounds of this size have lots of well-maintained walking trails which are a pleasure to explore on a nice fall day.
The estate is mostly an extensive wooded parkland, and a lake, fed by water from the River Glyme. Below is a sampling of this: |
We spotted this unusual sculpture in the garden….
We spent several hours exploring the Gardens and I feel we just scratched the surface. The Garden has an impressive maze, which we never explored. It has bridges and monuments we didn’t see. Perhaps on a future visit we can take a full day and visit everything the Garden has to offer.
If you enjoy gardens, then this one is not to be missed.
