Hi! I thought you might like a little tour of the famous Cotswold countryside in Oxfordshire. The main picture is an ancient Cedar of Lebanon tree that you might recognise if you're a fan of Harry Potter.  It was used in the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix movie in the scene where professor Snape reminisces about the time when he was bullied by Harry Potter's father while sitting under the tree.

The tree is located in the grounds of Blenheim palace, a popular tourist destination and one of the largest houses in England. It’s about 300 years old and you can see it on the hill at the top of the grass lawn in the picture below.

The property has a very large lake, historic park, woodlands and formal gardens which, in the main, can be attributed to Capability Brown who, from 1774, embarked on landscaping the grounds into what you might consider to be the quintessential English landscape garden style.

Walking around the footpaths you’re sure to see pheasants and even deer if you’re lucky.

Some of the trees in Blenheim are extremely old and this one below, which was over 500 years old, unfortunately fell down during a storm. It was left in place but given a new lease of life by artist Matthew Crabb who carved it into a stunning oak leaf bench.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my little tour of the parkland in Blenheim Palace. Maybe you’ll get to see the palace for yourself one day.

Thanks,

Teacher Ian