Saturday, November 23, 2024

One of the UK’s most beloved UNESCO World Heritage Sites is getting a makeover – with an all-new viewing platform

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Blenheim Palace is about to get a mega makeover — it’s biggest ever, in fact. The magnificent Oxfordshire estate is set to undergo £10.4 million worth of repairs to its roof to preserve its history and protect it for future generations. 

The work on the UNESCO World Heritage Site will start in January and won’t be finished until 2026. In the meantime though, it’s allowed for three exclusive new experiences at the palace, launching in spring next year. 

For a short time only, visitors to Blenheim will get a chance to see the estate in its full glory from a rooftop viewing platform, venture below the palace to see it from a nineteenth century servant’s point-of-view in an immersive ‘Life Below Stairs’ experience and get a glimpse at its private apartments in an extended tour. 

Photograph: Carmel Jane

The tour includes the Grand Cabinet, an opulent room normally only used for special family occasions. How the other half live, eh? 

Next year will also see Blenheim’s gardens get a glow-up with ‘new features to be explored every season’. 

Heather Carter, the palace’s managing director, said: ‘Alongside the monumental restoration, to be able to offer these unique, immersive experiences that showcase Blenheim Palace like never before is a dream.’

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the UK

Blenheim Palace is just one of 35 World Heritage Sites that belong to the UK. Read about the most recent addition here, which one was named the most beautiful in the whole world, which are the most popular in Europe and which one could be at risk of losing its prestigious status

ICYMI: This tiny northern train station has been named the best in the UK for 2024

Plus: This region of England has been named one of the best places to visit in the WORLD by Lonely Planet

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