The Glow Up

Name: The Glow Up
Location: Blenheim Palace

Our £12 million roof restoration is nearly complete

The Glow Up: What’s Been Unfolding Beneath the Scaffolding

For almost two years, Blenheim Palace has stood behind scaffolding as we carried out the most significant roof restoration ever. Now, as each section of scaffold comes down, the Palace is beginning to reveal itself once more - re‑leaded, re‑slated and, in places, glistening with gold. This is The Glow Up: the brilliance you can see and the craftsmanship beneath the surface that has quietly safeguarded the Palace throughout.

Britannia already stands free on the skyline and the Great Court’s eyes and columns are exposed once more. The Saloon will slowly be revealed in mid-August with the opportunity to observe the final conservation works taking place on the lower wall paintings in September. On the 7^th September, a tunnel will be installed in the Great Hall to enable the covering and scaffold to be safely removed over the following weeks.

The final part of the restoration works happens out on the South Lawn, where the Louis XIV statue will sit entirely clear of wrap and scaffold, the whole Palace roofline rising behind it. We will be there to film it the moment it happens.

The Craft Behind The Glow

Some of what has made this restoration was largely not visible…

The lead - Lead has roofed buildings for centuries, and when laid well it lasts for generations. But constant movement causes splits over time; a 2014 survey of the Great Hall roof recorded 25 splits, rising to 31 by 2016. This entire area has now been re‑leaded with thicker lead built to last.

The slate - Thousands of slates have been replaced across the Heights, Galleries and Saloon. Sound historic slates have been retained, with new slate added only where essential to preserve as much original fabric as possible.

The gilding - Beneath the North Portico roof, gilded plasterwork last restored in 2008 has been cleaned, stabilised and refreshed - removing dust, cobwebs and flaking, and correcting discolouration. The transformation is clear in the before‑and‑after of the gold ball.

The Before & After Transformations

An example of our eyes underneath our north portico roof, which were commisioned by Glady's Deacon, the second wife of the 9th Duke of Marlborough. Before restoration works in 2008 (left) after stabilisation works in 2026 (right).