Blenheim Palace Estate Unveils 20-Acre Solar Farm

Image Credit: Blenheim Estate

The iconic Blenheim Estate, a UNESCO World Heritage site, has completed a significant milestone with the launch of its 7MW Weaveley solar park, which spans an impressive 20 acres. In a bold move towards sustainability, the park positions Blenheim as a net generator of clean, green energy — a crucial step in achieving Net Zero by 2027.

The Weaveley solar park, with a projected lifespan of at least 30 years, is Blenheim’s first field-scale renewable energy project. It marks a pivotal moment in the Estate’s ambitious green transformation and environmental commitments.

But the solar park isn’t just about generating energy. The land will also continue to support sheep grazing year-round, blending tradition with innovation. Beyond that, Blenheim Estate is strengthening its ties with education, welcoming school groups to visit as part of the STEM curriculum, and helping inspire the next generation of environmental leaders.

As the solar park becomes a beacon of sustainable energy, the Blenheim Estate’s hydropower scheme on the River Glyme celebrates its 10th anniversary this year—a decade of renewable power that laid the foundation for the Estate’s broader green ambitions.

Roy Cox, Managing Director - Estates, said: “The Weaveley solar project has been a fantastic learning process which we can apply to larger infrastructure projects in the future.

“We will be sharing data and all of the learnings, good and bad, as the site matures.

“It’s also been a real team effort, not only from our own sector experts in innovation and natural capital playing key roles but through working closely with our partners, who have built the scheme.

“This land previously had zero biodiversity and was exhausted from years of intensive farming, but we’re already seeing an uplift in the site’s biodiversity, thanks to a number of measures including the flower and nectar-rich mixes already sown, wild bee habitats and thriving hedges for food and shelter.”

He added, “These uplifts are being measured through a pioneering sensor network to measure thermal efficiency, monitor and understand ecosystems, and, through open-source live data, show how these are performing as the field regenerates itself.”