Blenheim Palace: Illuminated Christmas Trail
Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace, barely 20 minutes from Kingham, is one of the largest national tourist attractions offering fabulous architecture, sweeping landscaped grounds and a well planned array of activities to keep all members of the family entertained. Blenheim Palace also hosts a range of events throughout the year, from national shows to high end luxury events to craft fairs and more.
For us locals, aside of the excellent maze and butterfly house (separate admission for these child friendly activities so you don’t have to pay for Palace entry every time!) some of these events are an opportunity to engage in major life experiences right on our doorstep. By life experiences I mean events you attend as a child that stay with you. Your first outside proms and fireworks event…whether you remember the collapsing picnic table or exploding ketchup bottle more than the fireworks it doesn’t matter because this is a family memory. Your first jousting competition in full costume…and the close encounter with security when you ran off into a crowd of 5000 people and could not be found by your parents. You know, just regular, happy family memories.
Christmas Trail
So, though it may seem a bit odd to be writing about a Christmas Trail in August this incredibly popular event is ticketed and sells out a long way in advance so we want our guests to have lots of fore warning. Running from 23rd November 2018 – 3rd January 2019 in the evenings this spectacular festival of lights covers acres of formal gardens around Blenheim Palace and highlights some of the most dramatic features of the landscape. There are light tunnels, coloured lights, floor lights, light walls, moving lights…you think of it they have got it. 
Our personal experienced is that this is an excellent family friendly event; young and old will be amazed by the impressive nature of the lights and the sheer joy the experience embodies. Mulled wine pit-stops and marshmallow toasting around the course keep everyone warm and topped up so it is a happy event in any weather! No picnic tables required but put reins on the runners.
Started in 2016 this is a new tradition (if this oxymoron is permitted!) at Blenheim Palace but one we are sure will become a firm favourite. This is a truly memorable experience and comes highly recommended by us.
For us, this year, we are really excited to discover the new scented Fire Garden and ‘mesmerising voices of the Singing Trees’. Let’s hope they can be heard over the rather more deafening and possibly less mesmerising screeches of our own children….
We still have availability in our cottages whilst this show is on so do come and enjoy this wonderful experience from Kingham Cottages and then share it with us on facebook.
