Blenheim Palace

Blenheim Palace is a palace not intended for royalty, but for a war hero. John Churchill had great military experience and in the War for Spanish Succession, he played a significant role. He beat the French at a place called Blindheim or Blenheim; and when he came back to England, he received a hero’s welcome (Nicolson 214). Queen Anne made him the first Duke of Marlborough and rewarded him with her manor of Woodstock, where he could have a house built by any architect he chose. He decided on John Vanbrugh, even though his wife Sarah wanted him to have Christopher Wren design the house (Nicolson 214). In her opinion, Vanbrugh’s design was too elaborate and expensive. Vanbrugh wanted to build a great monument and a beautiful mansion, and was little concerned with the fact that it was going to be a home as well (Duffie et al. 5). The extravagance and ornamentation characteristic of the baroque style proved to be extremely expensive, especially when the couple fell from the good graces of the Queen, who had been paying for the construction of Blenheim Palace but now refused to continue her support (Duffie et al. 5). The Duke decided to pay to finish his house out of his own money. He originally had Vanbrugh come back, but after too many disagreements with the Duchess, he dropped the project so James Moore helped to finish the Palace (Duffie et al. 6). The end product was truly amazing.

A more recent war hero has brought even more attention to Blenheim Palace. On November 30, 1874 Sir Winston Churchill was born in a small room at Blenheim palace (Caulfield 141). This room, just a ways off from the Great Hall, now displays some memorabilia of this great man; his red curls from his childhood along with his siren suit from World War II are both available for visitors to see (Duffie et al. 14). Churchill enjoyed spending time at Blenheim Palace throughout his life. During one of his visits, he had Clementine Hozier come to stay as well. He proposed to her one day while they were sitting at the Temple of Diana on the grounds of the Palace (Duffie et al. 16). Churchill said of these events, “At Blenheim I took two very important decisions: to be born and to marry. I am happily content with the decisions I took on both those occasions” (qtd. in Duffie et al. 14). Later in his life, Blenheim continued to be a place where he visited often; he took up painting and loved to paint the grounds of the Palace (Duffie et al. 17). Blenheim Palace was a place Churchill loved throughout his life.

Blenheim Palace is a huge mansion that also has vast gardens surrounding it. The house itself is three acres which is then surrounded by 2,500 acres of gardens, making it one of the largest private houses in Europe (Caulfield 141). Of the many magnificent rooms at Blenheim is the Great Hall. The Great Hall reaches 67 feet at its highest point and its ceiling is a magnificent painting done by James Thornhill, portraying the first Duke of Marlborough presenting his plan for the Battle of Blenheim (Duffie et al. 8). Vanbrugh designed the Great Hall using heavy stones, massive columns and impressive architecture to make it “dramatic and challenging” (Nicolson 216). Among the other impressive rooms are the Drawing Rooms, the State Rooms, and the Long Library. The Long Library is one room but equal in size to about five rooms. At one end of the library it has a beautiful statue of Queen Anne which Sarah, the first Duchess, commissioned; and at other end of the Library is the grand Willis organ ( Duffie et al. 42). Blenheim Palace is remarkable, and its gardens are also incredible. There are many different types of gardens, such as the Italian Garden, the Secret Garden, the Rose Garden, and the Arboretum. The grounds also have a lake with a bridge. Blenheim Palace, both the building and the grounds are breathtaking.

During my short visit to Blenheim Palace, I went through a little bit of the gardens and toured the house. What I saw of the gardens was really pretty, and I wish that I could have seen more of the different gardens. I really enjoyed learning about the different dukes and duchesses that have lived at Blenheim and how the family still lives in the house today. I liked learning more about Winston Churchill, but from a different perspective than just a military leader during World War II. My trip to Blenheim Palace was highly enjoyable and informative.

Works Cited

Caulfield, Max. “The West Midlands- from Oxford to the Wye.” This Beautiful Britain. London: Marshall Cavendish Books Ltd. 1979.

Duffie, Paul, et al. Blenheim Palace. Norwich: Jarrold Publishing. 2006.

Nicolson, Nigel. The National Trust Book of Great Houses of Britain. London: Butler & Tanner Ltd. 1978.