Many of us have seen Downton Abbey and become captivated with the goings on `upstairs and downstairs’ for the Crawley family and their house servants in a classic English country house, but what was life really like for an aristocratic family and their servants?

My wife and I recently visited Blenheim Palace and we managed to get a flavour of the Upstairs and Downstairs experience for ourselves. Visitors to the palace can not only, savour the opulence and grandeur of Blenheim Palace `above stairs` but also go down `below stairs’ and experience what life, was like in the rooms, where the servants lived and worked.

My wife & I started by exploring the stunning Palace State Rooms, with their priceless collections of portraits, tapestries and furniture. After absorbing all that the upstairs could provide, we set off on a fascinating walk below stairs, looking at the hidden world of Blenheim Palace’s servants. We could hear the voices and experienced first – hand the daily working activities of the house staff or servants, from polishing the silver, cleaning the boots to doing the laundry. Visitors can explore for themselves the kitchens, laundry, beer and wine cellars and much, much more.

We continued our tour of this stunning palace by exploring the Winston Churchill Exhibition, which I particularly enjoyed. The exhibition gave me a much better understanding of this extraordinary man, British Prime Minister on two occasions and one of the most famous politicians in the world. There was so much I did not know about him, from becoming a POW and then escaping, his skills as an artist, to winning the Nobel Prize for Literature, despite struggling with his academic studies, earlier in his life. Born at the Palace on 30th November 1874, Sir Winston’s connection to Blenheim Palace ran deep throughout his life. In the exhibition we were able to see the bed in which he was born, a copy of his death certificate and unusually a small case containing locks of his hair, cut from hm at the age of five. The poser urging the good folk of Oldham to vote for Winston Churchill at an election was of interest and the Chancellor`s red box, one of several other ministerial positions he had held in government.

Life Through a Royal Lens, is a major photography exhibition tracing the Royals’ enduring relationship with the camera, from the reign of Queen Victoria to the present day, it was fantastic. Showcasing over 100 photographs including rare off‑duty portraits, the exhibition provides a glimpse into royal life. I loved the iconic photographs of Queen Elizabeth the Second and many of the more recent snaps of the current King Charles the Third and the informal family photographs of William, Prince of Wales and his family. The exhibition continues at Blenheim Palace until the 27th September 2026.

Once we had parked the car, we were able to take advantage of the land train from the car park directly to the gates of the palace. after spending the day at the palace, we also got the land train back to our car, which was very much appreciated, having spent a large part of our day, on our feet. Unfortunately, because there is so much to see at Blenheim Palace, I ran out of time and was unable to enjoy the Marlborough Maze, a masterpiece of landscape design, which I was really looking forward to completing. Covering 1.8 acres and comprising more than 3,000 yew, the Marlborough Maze is one of the largest hedge mazes in the world. I have marked it down as a must do, for when I next visit the palace.

I will return!