Harvest and Halloween on your doorstep this autumn at Blenheim Palace Lodge Retreat
As leaves begin to change and berries sprout, those seeking an unmistakably British autumn getaway need look no further than Oxfordshire and the newly opened Blenheim Palace Lodge Retreat.
The luxury lodges are a stone’s throw from Britain’s greatest palace, one of the country’s most popular days out and steeped in over 300 years of history. Ranging from one to three bedrooms, the self-catering lodges are the perfect base from which to explore the palace, grounds and surrounding villages.
Blenheim Palace is known for a packed yearly calendar of events and exhibitions and that’s set to continue with a trio of eye-catching events in September and October.
Back for a third year running, Autumn Fest will transform the palace on Saturday September 30 and Sunday October 1, this time with the theme of ‘What Animals Teach Us’. The popular Michaelmas Market will feature over 50 independent Oxfordshire-based creators, food and drink stalls, while family entertainment, live music and an evening DJ set will keep the festival mood going until 8PM on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the new-for-2023 Harvest Emporium, created in collaboration with the Charlotte Lloyd Webber Event Design team, will include vegetables and flowers grown on the palace grounds themselves.
Halloween at Blenheim Palace is always one of the year’s busiest times, with this year’s festivities stretching from Friday 20 – Sunday 29 October. A spook-tacular haunted trail will bring guests of all ages face-to-face with witches, werewolves and ghouls – among other supernatural creatures – as well as breath-taking live fire performers, all to the backdrop of the 18th Century palace.
It wouldn’t be Halloween without sweet treats, so guests can enjoy old favourites like toasted marshmallows, hot chocolate and hot toddy in the crisp October air. Fancy dress is encouraged in this uniquely spooky spin on Britain’s greatest palace – and when the time comes to turn in for the night, guests are only a short walk from the comfort of their private accommodation at Blenheim Palace Lodge Retreat.
Darwin Escapes, a leading name in the travel industry, opened Blenheim Palace Lodge Retreat this summer beside the historic UNESCO World Heritage Site. A sprawling estate spanning over 2,000 acres of meticulously landscaped parkland and formal gardens, the palace is famously the residence of the Dukes of Marlborough and the birthplace of revered Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill.
Full self-catering options afford guests complete control throughout their stay. A quarter of the 36 lodges are pet-friendly, and guests staying at Blenheim Palace Lodge Retreat enjoy an exclusive 20 per cent discount on admission to Blenheim Palace itself.
Blenheim Palace Lodge Retreat prioritises sustainability; each lodge is equipped with a vehicle charging point, and substantial investments have been made in landscaping and the cultivation of local flora around the site.
