A TOUCH OF MAJESTY
BLENHEIM PALACE, OXFORDSHIRE
Blenheim Palace is the perfect backdrop to enjoy a glorious spring walk with its mix of Formal Gardens, ancient woodland, lakes and Capability Brown-landscaped parkland. Around April, visitors can see up to 3,000 lambs gambling around. The UNESCO World Heritage Site has a series of circular waymarked walks, some of which follow in the footsteps of Sir Winston Churchill, who was born there.
SPRING HORTICULTURAL
HIGHLIGHTS: According to Blenheim Palace’s head gardener Hilary Wood: ‘A walk around the gardens in spring will show many varieties of naturalised plantings of narcissus, including Golden Carpet, Ice Follies and Jersey Pride. In the Secret Garden, you’ll find bergenia, hellebores, magnolias, marsh-marigolds and brunnera starting to show their spring colours. One of my favourites is Lily of the Valley, which appears as if by magic with its sweet scent.’
HOW MUCH? Park and gardens tickets cost £18.50 per adult (blenheimpalace.com).
WHERE TO STAY: The Feathers is a four-star boutique hotel in a 17th-century townhouse in Woodstock, just a few minutes’ walk from Blenheim Palace. Doubles cost from £125 a night with breakfast (feathers.co.uk).