The legends of Woodstock Park
A royal park · Oxfordshire
Woodstock Park
Long before Blenheim Palace, this was the park of the royal manor of Woodstock. Two of our legends belong to it: the hidden bower where Henry II is said to have kept Fair Rosamund, and the “Just Devil” that, so the story goes, drove Parliament's commissioners out of the old manor in 1649.
Beyond the legend
What the history says
The medieval manor of Woodstock was a royal house. According to Edward Marshall, who wrote its history in 1873, much of it was pulled down for its materials in 1651, but part was still standing after Blenheim Palace was built nearby in the early 1700s.
Blenheim says the architect Sir John Vanbrugh repaired the old manor, but Sarah, 1st Duchess of Marlborough, had it demolished. Marshall dates its final destruction, and the levelling of the site, to 1723. Nothing of it stands today: a concrete plinth marks where it stood, and Fair Rosamund's Well is a short walk to the west.
Go and See
Notice until 3 January 2027: Blenheim does not sell Park & Gardens day tickets during its Christmas event, from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027.
- Where
- Blenheim Park, Woodstock. The pin marks the site of the old manor; Fair Rosamund's Well is a short walk to the west.
- Opening
- Inside Blenheim's park, which charges for entry. On 29 October 2026 a Park & Gardens day ticket cost £34 for adults, £18 for children and £91 for a family (£31, £15 and £85 online), and the park was open daily from 9.30am to 6pm. Ask at the palace for the way to the well.
- Allow
- An hour for a walk to the manor site and Rosamund's Well. Much longer if you visit the palace too.
- Families
- The Just Devil is a funny tale, good for all ages. Fair Rosamund's old ballad ends with a cup of poison, so you may want to read it first if your children are sensitive.
Visiting details checked 29 October 2026 with Blenheim Palace. Always check before you travel.
51.8461° N, 1.3637° W
Explore more folklore
Sources
Old books and records
- Edward Marshall, The Early History of Woodstock Manor and its Environs (1873). The manor's history and its demolition. Internet Archive.
Places and archaeology
- Blenheim Palace, “Secrets of Blenheim Palace”. Vanbrugh, the Duchess and the plinth. Checked 29 October 2026. blenheimpalace.com.
Visiting information
- Blenheim Palace, Tickets and opening times, blenheimpalace.com. Checked 29 October 2026. blenheimpalace.com.
Pictures
- Picture: Woodstock Manor-house in 1723, after J. Wood and S. Ireland, from Herbert A. Evans, Highways and Byways in Oxford and the Cotswolds (1905). Public domain, via the Internet Archive.
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