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BLENHEIM PALACE
Walk in Winston Churchill’s Slippers
Blenheim
Palace in Oxfordshire is one of the great estates of
England, wuth its
early 18th Century palace, one
of Britain’s grandest examples of Baroque architecture, designed
by Sir John Vanbrugh, and built on order of by the English Parliament
as a gift to John Churchill, 1st Duke
of Marlborough,
for his victory in 1704 over the French and Bavarians at the Battle
of Blenheim. Hence, an English Palace with a German name.
Before
the Marlboroughs, the grounds were the site of the country getaway
country castle of the Plantagenet kings at
Woodstock, where Henry II rendezvous'd for romantic trysts with
his mistress Rosamund and where Edward the Black Prince was born to
Edward III and his young Queen Philippa (see Tower
of London to Mortimers Hole). Blenheim is a must visit
for seakers of great historic mansions. Located about 40 minutes from
Oxford and
Stratford,
Blenheim
occupies a massive grounds
with many beautiful gardens, offering walks by pools and lakes, along
with historic displays and scheduled activities.
At
Blenheim Palace you'll find the incredibly ornate burial monument to
the 1st Marlborough Duke, who could have been buried at Westminster
if
he wanted
to (see Westminster
Abbey), but chose to stay at home. Large
estates have become entertainment industries of themselves over time
as tourist
attractions
and family activity centers for concerts, contests
and events. It’s almost hard to imagine that
great palaces with gift shops, concession stands and concert stages
on the
lawn were once homes to one family, but Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire
still is at its heart a private family home, if a large and magnificent
one, still the residence of the 11th Duke and Duchess of Marlborough.
Bleheim
Palace was the birthplace of Winston Churchill, who came a few centuries
after the first Churchill duke. Winston was a never in line for
the
title, born at Blenheim on November 30, 1874, the son of Lord Randolph
Churchill, the third son of the 7th Duke. Winston became as much or
more a hero than his great ancestor. though in the halls of government,
or perhaps tunnels (see Churchill
Museum Cabinet War Rooms) rather than the battlefield.
An exhibit of the histories of both great men
is presented inside the
palace and
Winston’s
smoking jacket and slippers are on display in one of the small anterooms,
waiting as if he might return one day.
Guided
tours of the palace are available or you can wander around on your
own. Tours of the private apartments where
the current Duke and his family
still live are available for an extra charge during the summer months. “Blenheim
Bygones” is an exhibition located in the Pleasure Gardens displaying
tools and machines necessary to run a great estate in the Victorian era.
There is also a maze and an adventure playground for the kids, who may
not have the same interest in old royalty antiques as their parents.
A rideable train runs between the gardens and the main house. The palace
also hosts a variety of special events from February to December, including
music concerts, car rallies, craft fairs and even a jousting tournament.
Check the official website for up-to-date events information.
Blenheim Palace was designated as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1987 and entrance is included with the Great British Heritage Pass available for non-UK residents which provides entry to historic sights around Great Britain for one price (see Save on Britain Historic Sight-Seeing). For UK tourists or frequent return visits, the Palace offers season tickets to the palace, park and events. © Bargain Travel Europe
These articles are copyrighted and the sole property of Bargain Travel Europe and WLPV, LLC. and may not be copied or reprinted without permission.
Find best travel deals in Oxfordshire on TripAdvisor
Stay st the Best Western Jersery
Arms Hotel or the
Bear
Hotel Woodstock
Web Info
Blenheim
Palace
See also:
ETTINGTON
PARK - "THE HAUNTING" HOTEL
SHAKESPEARE
- THE STRATFORD MAN
Literature’s greatest mystery - Did He or Didn’t He?
STEAM
TRAINSPOTTING IN OXFORDSHIRE
Didcot Railway
Center
LANGLEY
CASTLE
Castle Hotel & Restaurant Northumberland
RIPLEY
CASTLE AND BOARS HEAD INN
Castle and Inn Yorkshire Dales
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