Britain – September 2019

38 BRITAIN http://www.britain-magazine.com

STATELY HOMES

Thegildedstateroomsgivea senseofthehistoryand

prestigeofthehouse.AnUpstairstourwillbringyouinto

thebedroomswhereguestsoftheMarlboroughfamilystay

eventoday(andshowhowtheroomsarelinkedbysecret

doorwaysorcorridors).Guideswillalsorevealanecdotes

aboutpastresidentsandguests,fromWinstonChurchill,

whowasbornhere,toCharlieChaplinandBillClinton.

Meanwhile,theDownstairstourgivesyoua peekat

howstaffscurrythroughpassagewaysandtunnelsto

ensureeverythingkeepstickingalongnicely.Serviceis

nottakenlightlyhereandthepressureis on:fromthe

momentfoodis platedupbytheMichelin-starredchef,

staffhavejust 34 secondstoplaceit onthetable,one

oorabove.MrCarson,DowntonAbbey’s exacting

butler,wouldnodoubtapprove.

FormoreonBritain'sbeautifulstatelyhomes,see

http://www.britain-magazine.com

HolkhamHall

TicketsfortheHiddenPassages

andServants’Stairstoursare

£25(inadditiontotheentry

price)andshouldbebooked

inadvance.Notethatyouwill

havetoascendanddescend

70 stepsduringthetour.

http://www.holkham.co.uk

UpparkHouse

Youcanvisittheservants’

quartersaspartoftheentry

fee.Maketimetowalkthe

exquisitegroundsforviews

oftheSouthDowns,too.

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk

AudleyEndHouse

The1880sservicewingopens

earlierthanthemainhouse,

soit’sworthvisitingthispart

ofthehousefirst–withfilm

projectionsandtraditional

foodtotransportyouback

intime–beforeventuring

abovestairs.

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk

BlenheimPalace

TheUpstairsandDownstairs

tourscost£5each,inaddition

tothemainentryfee.Book

inadvanceinsummer.

http://www.blenheimpalace.com

BOOK AHEAD

Above: The Hall of

Blenheim Palace This

image: Winston

Churchill’s father,

Lord Randolph,

dubbed this ‘the finest

view in England’

PHOTOS:

©

BLENHEIM PALACE