Discover a ‘land of snowflakes’ inside 300-year-old Blenheim Palace before exploring the illuminated gardens, where artisan gifts, delicious food and hot drinks await, says Tanya Jackson
DAY OUT: Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire
When the winter frost turns Blenheim Palace and its parkland into a sparkling, misty Narnia, there aren’t many visitors who wouldn’t give up their hearts immediately to the Snow Queen. Of course, she owes a huge debt to Capability Brown, as his idealised landscape is utterly bewitching in winter and definitely worth a day trip.
There’s a pretty 6.5-mile walk from the nearby town of Woodstock that takes you over the River Glyme, through an ancient settlement and down into the palace parklands. Or for shorter routes, why not park at the palace and stay within the grounds? There’s a 4.6-mile perimeter walk that takes you across the Great Lake, alongside the parklands and up through the woods before dropping down into the formal gardens. Both walks offer superb views.
PALACE FIT FOR A QUEEN
Warm up inside the palace, taking in the splendour of the lavish state rooms, priceless Baroque furniture and centuries-old oil paintings that take up entire walls.
This Christmas, each room will be heavily decked out, with the theme ‘Kingdom of the Snow Queen’; highlights will include the sparkling Land of Snowflakes and Kingdom of Ice – a crystal-studded winter wonderland inside the 300-year-old palace and UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Children will enjo
