Woodstock, Oxfordshire
28th February 2016 Photos by Hetty
Blenheim Palace website– a member of Historic Houses Association
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, led the victory at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704, against France. As a reward he was granted a park and ruined Royal Manor at Woodstock (where Elizabeth I, before her succession, was imprisoned by her half-sister Mary I). Parliament granted him money to build a house.
1764 – 1774 Capability Brown redesigned the parkland, removed the formal garden, and created a lake
Sir Winston Churchill was born at Blenheim Palace in 1874 – he arrived 2 months early at his grandparents house.
Our first view of this huge palace. The east gate is also the water tower
The clock tower
The east and west wings on each side of the Great Court, on the north side of the palace.
In the Great Court is the entrance to the Great Hall
The southern façade
with a marble bust of Louis XIV, looted by Marlborough from France in 1709, above the portico
In the secret garden
South and east façades
The Italian garden, by the orangery, was created 1900-1910
1925-30 the water terraces were built, and the fountains added later
One of the faces of these statues was modelled on a palace gardener
This sphinx’s face was modelled on the 9th Duke of Marlborough’s second wife
Inside the great hall, which is 67 ft (20m) high
The state apartments have lovely ceilings
Someone was playing the massive organ in the long library, which is 180 ft (55 m) long
In the chapel is a huge monument to John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
We didn’t see everything, so we’ll have to go back another day.
All images on the website copyright of HettyHikes.co.uk