CYCLISTS enjoyed a family cycling day at one of Oxfordshire’s most popular visitor attractions.

But some were disappointed that a much larger popular annual event had been cancelled.

Families took advantage of the once-a-year opportunity to ride their bikes around the grounds of Blenheim Palace on Sunday on the day which replaced the event called Bike Blenheim Palace.

Bike Blenheim Palace was set to feature stalls from cycling groups and a race but it was scrapped this year after organisers could not find a sponsor.

Mum-of-two Julia Trimble went along to the family day out with husband Paul, 34, and children Harry, five, and Susie, two.

The 38-year-old office manager from Long Hanborough said: “It was nice. They should do it more often because it is a lovely place to cycle.

“We have been to Bike Blenheim before and we were quite sad when they announced it was cancelled.

“It is a shame it wasn’t the Bike Blenheim thing with all the stalls because we are quite into bikes.”

Dad-of-two Nick Handley, 41, a gas engineer from Adderbury, near Banbury, said: “The kids loved it because they got to look around the house and go on the traffic-free lanes around Blenheim.

“It was quite quiet compared to Bike Blenheim. If you are into cycling Bike Blenheim had quite a lot going on. It is a shame it wasn’t on this year.”

Son Rhys Handley, 11, added: “I enjoyed the big loop and the downhill bit. It was quite fast.

“Cycling is a good way of having fun and getting sporty.”

Nearly 15,000 people attended Bike Blenheim last year, its biggest attendance, and it was the first time the event ran for more than two days. This year’s event was cancelled in January.