Blenheim Palace to launch new visitor experience
A new experience called 'Life Below Stairs' will start on March 29 and will showcase the hidden world of Victorian service.
Visitors to the palace near Woodstock will get a glimpse into the daily workings of a grand country house, with the experience set in a recreation of a Victorian kitchen and adjacent quarters.
Visitors will learn more about the daily workings of a country house (Image: Blenheim Palace) They will enter the delivery room, with views into the courtyard, before being guided through the ale and wine cellar, the scullery, the kitchen, the butler's pantry, and the servants hall.
Palace guides will be stationed at various sections of the self-guided tour.
Visitors will be encouraged to imagine they are new staff members from a local village on their first day of work at Blenheim Palace.
The experience is set in November 1896, as staff prepare for a visit from the Prince and Princess of Wales.
There will be items to see, touch, smell, and read, aiming to show what it was like to work at the palace during this time.
Visitors will be able to smell herbs drying in the butler's pantry, play card games in the servants hall, and flick through wine lists in the ale and wine cellar.
The experience will also feature background sounds and characters, such as Clara Dolley, the cook, and John Farrance, the butler.
Miss Dolley's character, found in the kitchen, has a feisty yet respectable relationship with the perfectionist French chef.
In the ale and wine cellar, Mr Farrance can be found speaking to wine distributors, while in the kitchen he will be checking on lunch progress.
Life Below Stairs will be launched on March 29 (Image: Blenheim Palace) The 'Life Below Stairs' experience coincides with the launch of Blenheim Palace's most ambitious restoration initiative to date, its roof project, and a new ticketed rooftop view platform.
This platform will provide visitors with views over the estate, including the Column of Victory.
Blenheim Palace first opened its doors to the public 75 years ago to raise funds for roof conservation work.
The £12 million project aims to restore a significant section of the roof of the palace.
Visitors can also enjoy personally tailored tours thanks to a new app, 'Archie - your interactive guide'.
Named in honour of the palace's former administrator and first chief guide, Archie Illingworth, who worked there from 1950 to 1972, the app allows visitors to choose exactly what they would like to see and hear.
It also allows them to delve into more than 300 years of stories, many of which have never been told before.
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You can watch a dramatic Champagne sabering every Thursday in Rosebay, its cocktail bar. 'We want to create memorable experiences for our guests, from decorating rooms for anniversaries to making picnic baskets for outdoors. Our region's natural beauty can't be beat, and we showcase it with an etched-wood artwork of Mount Rainier using Japan's Yakisugi technique and more wood and stone in our lobby and a raindrop light installation,' says Jeffrey Modaff, general manager. Good to know: Part of the Hilton luxury collection, this hotel is a five-minute walk to the waterfront and three blocks from the Seattle Art Museum. 8. Lodges on Vashon Best for: Families Half of these 16 modern-design, Scandi-chic wood cottages with king beds are suites with two extra twin beds. Guests can reach these Vashon Island cottages via a 20-minute water taxi ride from Pier 50 in Seattle or a 20-minute ferry ride from West Seattle's Fauntleroy Terminal. Nestled next to evergreens and landscaped paths, this pet-friendly lodging also has a communal area with firepits and games. You'll find the cottages slightly hidden in lush, manicured greenery inside Vashon Uptown, a small town with delightful restaurants, shops, and cafes. Good to know: Family-friendly activities on Vashon Island include beachcombing, biking, hiking, and troll-hunting. 9. Seattle Gaslight Inn Best for: Bed & Breakfast fans This lovely Craftsman-style 1907 home is an eight-room bed and breakfast that has an outdoor pool, a living room, and a library—both with fireplaces. Some guest rooms feature stained-glass windows, some have decks overlooking Seattle, one has a fireplace, and the majority have private baths. The B&B serves guests a Continental breakfast in its oak-paneled dining room. 'We're in Capitol Hill on a residential block on a hilltop, a three-minute walk from the fantastic French Bakery Nouveau, near many shops and restaurants. Guests call us an urban oasis,' says owner Joelle Wheatley. Good to know: Capitol Hill has many LGBTQ-friendly spots and Volunteer Park, a 48-acre park that's home to the Seattle Asian Art Museum. (How to plan the ultimate US rail trip along the West Coast or Eastern Seaboard) Sharon McDonnell is a travel, food, drink and culture writer in San Francisco and member of SATW.
