HAVE you ever imagined what it would be like to have a palace to yourself?
That’s the current luxury for some staff members at eighteenth century Blenheim Palace as although the popular attraction is closed to visitors, a skeleton crew of staff is continuing to undertake cleaning and maintenance work.
One of the staff members, Sonia Serna, described what it’s like to have the building pretty much to herself.
She said: “It can be a little strange to know you are virtually on your own in this magnificent building, but it’s also an amazing privilege to have a palace to yourself.
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“Our job is to ensure Blenheim’s priceless collection of art and artefacts remains safe and we’re constantly on the look out for any signs of dirt or damage that could affect the collection.”
Staff have been kept busy from cleaning the statue of Queen Anne to polishing objects in the Great Hall, such as the ornate sideboard dish photographed.
The palace itself, as well as Formal Gardens and Pleasure Gardens, remains closed due to the coronavirus pandemic until further notice.
However, it has been offering virtual tours, guides and activities, including a 360-degree camera and video tours.
Home to the Dukes of Marlborough since 1704, Blenheim was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
It is also famously the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, whose father described the vista on entering the estate from Woodstock as the ‘finest view in England’.
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