A WORLD Heritage Site in Oxfordshire has received a prestigious award recognising its quality as a visitor attraction.

Blenheim Palace, in Woodstock, was given a Gold Accolade as part of VisitEngland’s Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme, which assesses 1,000 attractions across the country.

The accolades recognise attractions going the extra mile to create an enjoyable and memorable visitor experience.

Blenheim Palace’s operations director Heather Carter said: “We are delighted to have been recognised as one of the top attractions by VisitEngland.

“The entire team is committed to continually look at innovative new ways to improve the overall visitor experience here at Blenheim Palace.

“To be recognised for this hard work is very rewarding and will provide all of us with an added incentive to put the visitor at the heart of everything we do here."

The accolades are available to attractions that are part of the scheme and are allocated through a scoring system based on an annual assessment by VisitEngland.

Built in the early 18th century to celebrate Britain’s victory over the French in the War of the Spanish Succession, the palace is the ancestral home of the Dukes of Marlborough and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill.

The palace was officially designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.