England may be awash with stately homes and castles dot the land, but palaces are rarer and Blenheim Palace is a class apart.
The World Heritage Site recently opened a new set of lodges on the estate grounds of the Dukes of Marlborough, offering family adventures in the shadow of what is often dubbed England's finest palace.
The National set off on a Darwin's Escapes Blenheim Palace Lodge Retreat with the stately palace as the stunning backdrop of a weekend of exploration.
The welcome
We are welcomed into a natural stone cottage that serves as the check-in point for lodge guests. A warm and welcoming ambience with break-out space and comfortable sofas allows for a relaxing entry point to the experience.
The neighbourhood
The palace itself was gifted to John Churchill, victorious commander of the allied forces in Europe in 1706, who became the first duke. It still serves on the diplomatic circuit, and most recently hosted a state dinner for then President Donald Trump on a visit to the UK in 2018.
Staying in the lodges offers us access to what has been one of Europe's foremost private pleasure grounds since the reign of Queen Ann, with a secure pathway leading up to the palace where there are cafes and restaurants. For all else, village amenities, including boutiques and craft outlets, are located in Woodstock just a few minutes away.
The room
With three bedrooms, well-appointed living rooms, fast Wi-Fi and parking bays with individual charging points for electric cars, Darwin's Lodge Stays are built for family comfort. A spa-level luxury pitch of finishings and furnishings, including Aran Island toiletries and a sandstone villa reception area, rounds out the offer.
The service
Service is focused on guest needs around independent living. When we had a weekend query about the lodge heating system, the site manager was at our door within minutes. Tips on where to eat in neighbouring Woodstock proved very useful.
The scene
With Gulf Cooperation Council visitors to the UK now part of the Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) system, travelling to Britain on a multiple entry basis has never been easier. While London is most people's port of call, Oxford – Blenheim is less than 10 miles north of the capital – is just as accessible and less than an hour's drive from Heathrow. It's well worth a visit.
Regularly ranked best in the world, Oxford University is well worth the trip in itself. The colleges are open to visitor inspections, where you can soak in the history and vibe of student life. Pass through the arches of the Bodelian Library, where a sign informs you that it is obligatory to mime the word shhhh!
The Bodleian was a Harry Potter location, and the boy wizard is something of a celebrity in Oxford, where hundreds join dedicated tours every day to see sights from the films. Owl, a guide on the Oxford Harry Potter Tour, is a masters student at the university and tells me that the pursuit of the Harry Potter landscape has taken over the city.
At the gateway to Oxford from the north is another gem. The Ashmolean museum boasts a collection of universal artefacts and art that would be the pride of a much bigger city. Statues from the Assyrian city of Nimrud's Northwest Palace stand vast and basilisk. An inscription from the same area dated to 870 BCE is on display to be read more than 3,000 years later and the heads of Greeks like Homer, Thucydides and Demosthenes glare from spotlighted pedestals.
Back at Blenheim, fashionistas can check out the palace's biggest exhibition to date. All about the history of UK fashion, it runs until June. Each room in the palace has been taken over by a designer or label from the British fashion scene.
The food
The palace's refurbished Orangery Restaurant provides an elegant pit stop for meals, not least for its range of signature afternoon teas (from £34) that are symbolic of any English countryside break.
Part of the palace is dedicated to Winston Churchill, who was born in the building and one afternoon tea option nods to this and includes a very moreish 'Winston Churchill salted caramel cigar biscuit'.
Highs and lows
For a certain category of visitor, the highlight of a trip to Blenheim will be time spent in the roots of a vast cedar from Lebanon that dates from the time of England's most famous gardener Capability Brown. In the 2007 film Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, a scene was shot at this tree and it has been a place of pilgrimage ever since.
The insider tip
Oxford has its own airport, just across the road from the palace if you prefer to arrive by air. There's also a dedicated helicopter service to London's Battersea heliport, minutes from Chelsea and the attractions of Sloane Square.
The verdict
A perfect family break that combines fun activities, magnificent history, relaxing side trips and luxury country accommodation.
The bottom line
Three nights in a three bedroom Marlborough Lodge costs £625. The Blenheim Palace Lodge retreats also includes one-bed Winston and two-bed Hawksmoor offerings; www.darwinescapes.co.uk
This review was conducted at the invitation of Blenheim Estates and Darwin Escapes
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MEYDAN CARD
6.30pm Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm Conditions Dh240,000 (D) 1,600m
7.40pm Handicap Dh190,000 (D) 2,000m
8.15pm Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 2,200m
8.50pm The Entisar Listed Dh265,000 (D) 2,000m
9.25pm The Garhoud Sprint Listed Dh265,000 (D) 1,200m
10pm Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,400m
The National selections
6.30pm Majestic Thunder
7.05pm Commanding
7.40pm Mark Of Approval
8.15pm Mulfit
8.50pm Gronkowski
9.25pm Walking Thunder
10pm Midnight Sands
Grand Slam Los Angeles results
Men:
56kg – Jorge Nakamura
62kg – Joao Gabriel de Sousa
69kg – Gianni Grippo
77kg – Caio Soares
85kg – Manuel Ribamar
94kg – Gustavo Batista
110kg – Erberth Santos
Women:
49kg – Mayssa Bastos
55kg – Nathalie Ribeiro
62kg – Gabrielle McComb
70kg – Thamara Silva
90kg – Gabrieli Pessanha
THE SCORES
Ireland 125 all out
(20 overs; Stirling 72, Mustafa 4-18)
UAE 125 for 5
(17 overs, Mustafa 39, D’Silva 29, Usman 29)
UAE won by five wickets
Results
6.30pm Madjani Stakes Rated Conditions (PA) I Dh160,000 I 1,900m I Winner: Mawahib, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
7.05pm Maiden Dh150,000 I 1,400m I Winner One Season, Antonio Fresu, Satish Seemar
7.40pm: Maiden Dh150,000 I 2,000m I Winner Street Of Dreams, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
8.15pm Dubai Creek Listed I Dh250,000 I 1,600m I Winner Heavy Metal, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.50pm The Entisar Listed I Dh250,000 I 2,000m I Winner Etijaah, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson
9.25pm The Garhoud Listed I Dh250,000 I 1,200m I Winner Muarrab, Dane O’Neill, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
10pm Handicap I Dh160,000 I 1,600m I Winner Sea Skimmer, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch automatic
Power: 169bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh54,500
On sale: now
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
More on Turkey's Syria offence
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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7.
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
MATCH INFO
Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')
Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')
Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EYango%20Deli%20Tech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERetail%20SaaS%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESelf%20funded%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
SERIES SCHEDULE
First Test, Galle International Stadium
July 26-30
Second Test, Sinhalese Sports Club Ground
August 3-7
Third Test, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 12-16
First ODI, Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium
August 20
Second ODI, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 24
Third ODI, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 27
Fourth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
August 31
Fifth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
September 3
T20, R Premadasa Stadium
September 6
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Drivers’ championship standings after Singapore:
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes - 263
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari - 235
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes - 212
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull - 162
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari - 138
6. Sergio Perez, Force India - 68
