If you’re looking for chauffeur day tour ideas for great day trips not far from London, Warwick Castle and Blenheim Palace are both excellent options for a chauffeured day tour combining comfort, style and interest.
Here, we give you a guide to what to expect.
Blenheim Palace
This imposing building, designed in the short-lived English baroque style, is a grand Oxfordshire country house, and is arguably England’s most impressive stately home. It’s been a UNSECO World Heritage Site since 1987.
Its multiple uses as mausoleum, national monument and family home make Blenheim Palace unique.
Not only is it where the current Duke of Marlborough lives, but it’s where Winston Churchill was born, and, today, a permanent exhibition is housed in the suite of rooms where he was born. (And, as well as visiting his birthplace, you can also be taken to see his grave.)
This magisterial building was built in the early eighteenth century (it’s named after the 1704 Battle of Blenheim) as a home for the first Duke of Marlborough – his descendants still reside here. What’s more, a French royal flag is submitted to the Monarch on the battle’s anniversary in return for rent for the land on which the palace stands.
A soaring entrance hall and a 60-metre library are part of the grand interior. There are also paintings by Old Masters, clocks, some exquisite ceramic pieces and priceless furniture.
The palace, gardens and park are open to the public, and a miniature railway links the gardens to the palace. There’s also access to some five miles of right of way through the Great Park in the grounds.
From Blenheim, it’s also possible to visit Oxford or Stratford-on-Avon.
Warwick Castle
Developed from an original which William the Conqueror built in 1068, this medieval castle is in the county town of Warwickshire, on a bend in the River Avon. In 2001, the British Tourist Authority named the castle as one of the UK’s top historic houses and monuments, and the place has won other accolades, too.
The current structure was constructed from stone during Henry II’s reign and is in the same place where the earlier Norman castle was, although with a new layout. Most of the current structure dates from post-medieval times.
Today, there’s always something going on at the castle, from shows with birds of prey to archery and jousting displays, and shows in the dungeons! And because the castle is the subject of many ghost stories, sometimes these are acted out as well.
Stroll around the turrets, towers, ramparts and battlements, the incredible interiors and the Great Hall – the adventures include a maze, a Time Tower, interactive attractions and dozens of acres of landscaped gardens complete with sculptured topiary peacocks.
So Warwick Castle promises an action-packed day out – and it’s open from 10am onwards during peak season, with closing times varying according to what date it is.
Given the castle’s central location at the heart of the motorway network, near Junction 15 of the M40, there’s easy access from both London and Birmingham.
You’ll also find a good mix of restaurant venues catering for varying tastes (alternatively enjoy a picnic in the grounds) and plenty of shops for buying souvenirs and gifts.
This wonderful place brings history vividly to life, with a chauffeured tour completing the experience.
