The royal manor of Woodstock existed here from the time of Ethelred the Unready, and it was a residence of Alfred the Great. It knew its greatest days during the Middle Ages as Woodstock Palace.
The town was altered greatly during the 17th century, when the Duke of Marlborough became a permanent resident. The local inn, the Bear, was capable of accommodating vast numbers of visitors and horses. The palace was the birthplace of Winston Churchill.