4/15/18
We start the day
with another lovely breakfast with K+A, then start off in the direction of
Oxford to visit Bleinem Palace, nearby in Woodstock, about a 90 minute drive
down the M4.
We had planned a
tour of the house, garden and grounds, and booked a "Downstairs" tour
and then afternoon tea in the Orangery.
Fran and I last
visited the Palace in 2015 and there have been some changes and attractions
added since then.
After some
unnecessary delays with their ticketing process (not quite a Single Sign On
pass-through from online ordering to authentication at the gate) we entered the
Great hall and introduced to two themes of the month. There were exhibits on
Victorian style and a commemoration of the life of Winston Churchill.
In addition, there
was a display in the library of costumes used in the Young Victoria
mini-series. A live organist entertained visitors while they browsed the long
hallway with views of the magnificent gardens.
We had time before
our Downstairs tour to wander through the gardens and before the rain started.
A very knowledgeable
guide ( former teacher ) led us through the lower servants work and living
areas of the house and provided inside stories of how the current Duke and his
family lived in their ancestral home.
We finished the tour
in time for our reservation for afternoon tea in the Orangery and shared our
impressions of this fascinating piece of history.
On our way out of
Woodstock, we paid our respects at the grave of Winston Churchill who is laid
to rest in St. Martins church in Bladon ( 5 minutes from the Palace ) along
with the rest of the Spencer-Churchills.
