Blenheim Palace

Yesterday we went to Blenheim Palace. Our grandparents had bought us an annual pass and it was only a twenty minute drive so we got inside pretty quickly. Jason, Phoebe and Juliet went straight to the pleasure gardens where there was a playground - an adventure playground, a butterfly house, a jumping castle, and a maze while Kate, our grandparents and I went to see a tour of the current Duke of Marlborough's private apartments. The Duke's under-Butler was even there changing the newspapers. 

After the tour, the rest of us made our way to the pleasure gardens, in a small train, for lunch. After lunch we went to the secret garden which is a maze of pathways inside a beautiful forest with streams and little waterfalls and toadstools. We got ice cream and we also saw the bride and groom of a wedding come in a horse and cart. 

We then did a buggy tour of the queen pool, which is a massive lake on the estate. We saw a bridge over the lake, which apparently has 30 rooms in it but they cannot check because the residents are protected by law - bats. Jason, Phoebe, Juliet and I went home while everyone else stayed and did one last tour by a woman who was dressed up as a servant from the time of the first Duke.

Me waiting for the first tour to start (we weren't allowed to take photos of the Duke's private rooms)

The train to the pleasure gardens 

The buggy

The Queen pool with the bridge (and the Palace in the background)

A tiny part of the secret garden

Phoebe with the horse and carriage

The Palace