Day 15: Blenheim Palace and Oxford

Saturday saw early starts, bus rides and fun in abundance, as the students and supervisors explored Blenheim Palace. The home of the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough and birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, Blenheim Palace is a delightful stately palace surrounded by spectacular gardens. After a guided tour of the Palace ROOMS the students enjoyed their freedom exploring the gardens with some navigating their way to the centre of the famous maze (with supervisors failing to navigate their way to the maze, never mind the centre!). After enjoying lunch at Blenheim, we re-boarded the coach for the short journey to ‘Cambridge Lite’ (or as most people call it, Oxford). Having studied in Cambridge for the past week, it was interesting to see a mixture of curiosity and excitement in the students who were given a couple of hours to explore the Other Place. Some saw the academic sights, enjoying a tour led by head supervisor Lewis, while others went shopping, with Primark and H&M seemingly the most popular of the high street brands on offer. This freedom to explore resulted in some amazing finds, the indoor market cake and milkshake shops being particularly praised by students and supervisors alike. All fed and exhausted from touring and shopping, many students caught a quick sleep on the way back to Cambridge. Many students then finished the day playing board games, while others unwound with friends after a hectic and fun-filled day, before heading to bed to ensure a good night’s rest before tomorrow’s trip to Stratford and Warwick Castle! Written by Carl, Supervisor