Day out at Blenheim Palace followed by lunch and a glass of vino in a cosy country pub? That will do nicely!

This family friendly 16th century pub in the pretty village of Bladon has location nailed, right on the border of Blenheim Palace’s grounds, complete with a log burner and outdoor space with kid’s play area for Summer. It’s roughly a 20 minute walk to the palace doors.

Foodwise, it’s all locally sourced, and good value too – the compact, seasonal menu with starters around £6, mains from £14 and there’s also a selection of homemade pizzas made with authentic Italian ’00’ flour. The pub picked up a 2019 award for Oxfordshire’s Best Country Gastropub and has just added another gastronomic notch to the belt with a coveted AA Rosette.