Limited edition behind-the-scenes tour set for Blenheim

Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire will host limited edition Restoration & Conservation guided tours early next year.

The new tours will be available from the start of the New Year as part of the extended opening season experience offered to visitors at the World Heritage Site.

What does the tour entail?

The Restoration & Conservation tour will be exclusively available from 5th January until 28th February, running twice per day excluding Sundays. The new tours will tie into the annual deep clean of Blenheim Palace which will now be on full show to visitors during this period. The tour will give an in-depth look into what is being done in each of the State Rooms.

Kate Ballenger, house manager at Blenheim Palace: “Each year, when the palace is usually closed, the operations team, accompanied by various specialists, complete the ‘deep clean’. This process is much more than just cleaning, it is the careful review of the entire collection followed by a thorough cleaning programme alongside the ongoing conservation and restoration work.

“This tour of the palace gives insights into both the deep clean and the conservation and restoration that is happening at present and has happened in the past.”

The new tours will look at two important aspects of running a 300 year old palace, including restoring a piece of art, building or tapestry to its original condition, as well as the preservation and repair of the historical and cultural site and its artefacts.

The tour will also examine the theme of renovation, exploring how Blenheim Palace must also modernise and remain as a comfortable family home and appealing to visitors.

Groups taking the tour will discover how, from clocks to paintings, each piece of work often requires specialist and niche attention, with specialists sought from all over the world to complete the painstaking tasks of restoring priceless pieces of history.

Organisers interested in booking a Restoration & Conservation tour should email groups@blenheimpalace.com. Groups are welcome at Blenheim Palace with various group rates and packages available.

For further information visit www.blenheimpalace.com.