There’s a lot of (free!) gates into Blenheim Park but this one is far and away our favourite, and a route that we do at least twice a month.
First we have to give a mention to the beautiful bench near the entrance of Combe gate. It’s carved out of a 500 year old fallen oak tree and took 50 hours to complete by chainsaw artist Matthew Crabb. The design features giant oak leaves and visitors are invited to sit and contemplate the world on it. It really is a stunning piece of art.
The park is such a pleasure to walk through and you can either stick to the path or go off piste – we cut across the grass at some points which make for a slightly shorter circular walk. Children are permitted to ride push-bikes, balance bikes, tricycles and push-scooters on the paths and the smooth tarmac path is a good surface to do it on. In fact, it’s a great place to learn to ride a bike in general, with some gentle slopes for confidence building, as well as some serious slopes for the thrill-seekers. You’ll find lots of people out walking with buggies, dog walkers, young cyclists and a fair few runners too plus lots of noisy pheasants!
