The REFRESH Project: historical water management at Blenheim Palace

Historical water management at Blenheim Palace reveals a dynamic interplay between engineering, landscape design, and environmental adaptation over 300 years. Preliminary findings from the REFRESH project suggest that traditional hydraulic systems, shaped by climatic conditions such as aridity, drought, and floods, offer valuable insights for contemporary conservation and sustainability strategies. The study combines extensive archival research with oral histories to reconstruct past water management practices, demonstrating their potential to inform future climate adaptation solutions while aligning with conservation principles.

Wilhelm, K., Désarnaud, J., Khan, N., & Viles, H. (2025). The REFRESH Project: historical water management at Blenheim Palace. In Oxford Water Day conference. University of Oxford. https://doi.org/10.5287/ORA-ZRYQGWJBA