Blenheim Palace, Downton Abbey Village & The Cotswold

Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace is a masterpiece of English Baroque architecture and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. The stunning State Rooms are brimming with priceless works of art and magnificent tapestries. The Palace is still inhabited today by the Duke of Marlborough. The Gardens are set in over 754 hectares of land with an exquisite water garden.
Tour of the Blenheim Palace State Rooms where their own guide will bring the history of this fabulous palace to life.

The Cotswolds
This region of outstanding natural beauty is characterised by attractive small towns and thatched villages of yellow Cotswold stone made prosperous by the historic wool trade.
We'll make a short stop in the village of Bibury, once described by William Morris as "the most beautiful village in England" and see Arlington Row, a row of weavers cottages built of local stone. Then on to Bourton-on-the-Water, the "Little Venice" of the Cotswolds. Its picturesque High Street is flanked by shaded greens, and the River Windrush, spanned by several arched stone bridges, runs alongside.

Downton Abbey Village
In the village of Bampton, we visit the street where many scenes from the "Downton Abbey" TV series were filmed. You can see the Church where a number of "Downton" events were hosted, from weddings and funerals to the Downton Fair. Next to the church is Churchgate House which was used as the Crawley family home, and the old Grammar School which now houses the Bampton Library and Community Archive and served as the Downton Cottage Hospital. The street is also the location for two local pubs, "The Grantham Arms" and "The Dog & Duck".