BLENHEIM Palace’s collection of historical documents and artefacts has been transferred to a new archive.

Split across three rooms and two floors, the newly renovated facilities are temperature-controlled, providing the right environment for thousands of objects and documents dating back centuries.

The move, which was carried out over five days by Blenheim Palace staff, is part of the Woodstock stately home’s £40m restoration programme which will also see them re-acquiring key lost works.

Blenheim Palace archivist Alexa Frost said: “Correctly preserving archival material is an essential part of protecting Blenheim Palace’s heritage.

“Archives provide evidence of activities which help us to understand the culture of those who lived and worked on the Estates as well as giving us insights into the lives of the Marlborough family.”

Oxford graduate Ms Frost said about 80 per cent of the archival material has been part-catalogued, with 20 per cent is yet to be rediscovered.

She added: “I am particularly interested in the social history of the Blenheim Estates. As the cataloguing programme continues I often find information about individuals we were not previously aware of.”