The Temple of Flora, a Grade II listed limestone monument dating back to the late 18th century, was rediscovered in the Woodstock site’s formal gardens after being hidden by dense shrubbery and an iron fence.
Head gardener Andy Mills is returning the building to its former glory as part of an ongoing restoration of the formal gardens.
He said: “The idea is to take it back to how it used to look. The view from the seat was obscured by a large overgrown boiling mass of holly and brambles.
“You couldn’t see the lake at all from the bench.
“We’ve cut down a tree and a load of shrubs to restore the view, and the temple itself has once again become part of the garden route.
“We have restored the original path that ran out from the rosarium towards the cascade, stopping off at the temple to take in the re-opened view.”
The bench at the temple now offers a clear view of the lake, just as it would have more than 250 years ago.
Records suggest the temple was designed by Sir William Chambers and erected around 1772, though its current location near the grotto is not thought to be its original site.
Mr Mills has yet to work out from the Blenheim archives where the temple was originally situated.
He continued: “We will then recreate the Temple Flower Garden.
“In High Victorian times – late 1800s – it was a charming enclosure, and you would have had lovely exotic plants in there – sweet-smelling trees, shrubs, and tender perennials.
“As it’s dedicated to the goddess Flora, it makes sense to have an abundance of flora down there.”
He described the project as an ongoing process, with plans to introduce unusual and climate-resilient plants.
Mr Mills said: “It’s very much an evolution. I couldn’t give a definitive plant list of how it will look, but with climate change it gives us an opportunity to do something really unusual and different for Blenheim.”
The rediscovery came as a surprise even to some long-serving staff, including a member of the gardening team who had worked at Blenheim Palace for 15 years without ever having seen the temple.
With the shrubbery and fencing removed, a French drain – a trench filled with gravel – installed, and the temple more accessible to visitors, Mr Mills now plans to make it the focal point of another garden room at Blenheim Palace.