The Pleasure Gardens

The Pleasure Gardens can be reached by the miniature train, on foot or there is a small car park. It is the perfect place for families to while away an hour or two, watching exotic butterflies, muddling around the Marlborough Maze or letting off steam in the Adventure Playground.

The Train

The narrow-gauge railway links the Palace to the Pleasure Gardens. A firm favourite with children and adults alike, the railway operates daily from April until October at half-hour intervals. The diesel locomotive, Sir Winston Churchill, pulls three canopied carriages and can reach a speed of 12 mph. (From time-to-time the miniature train will not be running due to general maintenance. Please check prior to your visit).

The Marlborough Maze

The Marlborough Maze is the world's second largest symbolic hedge maze, designed to reflect the history and architecture of the Palace. The maze covers an area of just over an acre (0.4 hectare) and has two high wooden bridges which provide perfect vantage points. Within the maze area is a model of a Woodstock street, putting greens, as well as a giant chess and draughts set.

Butterfly House

In the Butterfly House, exotic tropical butterflies can be seen in free flight. The special hatchery contains the pupae of many of the species, bred on site - so at Blenheim, it's possible to study the full life-cycle. More exotic butterflies can be seen, depending on the season. The Monarch from North America, the Owl butterflies of Central and South America and the Heliconius butterflies, also from Central and South America.