Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire
Blenheim Palace, near Oxford, is a country house located in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, southern England. Blenheim Palace is the residence of the Dukes of Marlborough and was originally built as a gift to John Churchill, the 1st duke, by Queen Anne.
Blenheim Palace is the only non-royal country house in England, which holds the title of palace. The architect and dramatist Sir John Vanbrugh built the palace in a rare English Baroque style. Vanbrugh and his partner Nicholas Hawksmoor were also responsible for Castle Howard in the north of England near York.
The house and gardens are one of Britain's UNESCO World Heritage sites.
History
The palace was originally conceived as a gift from a grateful nation to John Churchill, the first Duke Of Marlborough. This munificence was for his victory over the French and Bavarians at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession.
The palace is also the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, another hero of war, in 1874. It was constructed in the short-lived English Baroque style. The palace is now surrounded by 2,100 acres of verdant parkland.
John Vanbrugh and Nicholas Hawksmoor designed much of the palace we see today but were criticized for their extravagance by the Duchess. Hensington Gates, the main entrance to Blenheim Park (1709) and the Library (1722-25) are both by Hawksmoor. The main house is the work of Vanbrugh.
John Churchill's wife, the strong-willed Sarah Churchill (née Jennings) soon fell out with John Vanbrugh (she had wanted Christopher Wren of St Paul's Cathedral fame) and when finances began to dry up from Queen Anne, Sarah ending up paying for and designing much of the grand interior following her husband's death in 1722.
Architecture & Tours
Visits to the palace begin in the Great Hall with its 20 meter high ceiling featuring images of the first duke. This was painted by John Thornhill (1675-1734) who also decorated parts of Chatsworth House, the interior of the dome of St Paul's Cathedral and Wimpole Hall.
The adjacent Churchill Exhibition is dedicated to Britain's wartime leader Sir Winston Churchill and includes exhibits of his life, his art and his writings. Visitors can also listen to recordings of some of Churchill's most famous speeches. The great man is buried alongside his wife in Bladon Church just outside the estate.
Free 45-minute guided tours of the State Rooms take in the Blenheim Tapestries dedicated to the first duke's military victories, the Long Library with a statue of Queen Anne and the State Dining Room with its magnificent painted walls and trompe l'oeil ceiling (trompe l'oeil is an artistic technique to create the optical illusion of three dimensions).
The Palace Chapel contains the ornate tomb and sarcophagus of the first duke and duchess who are depicted as Caesar and Caesarina.
Gardens
The formal gardens at Blenheim Palace include the lovely water garden. Other gardens include The Italian Garden (no access), The Secret Garden, The Rose Gardens and The Pleasure Gardens.
Visitors to Blenheim Palace can use the free train service to move between the main entrance to the palace and The Pleasure Gardens.
One element of The Pleasure Gardens is a Butterfly House where the visitor may have a close encounter with the inhabitants and The Cascade - a large ornamental water feature by Capability Brown. The flow of the River Glyme over the spectacular cascade is augmented by pumps.
Another popular feature is the Marlborough Maze - one of the largest hedge mazes in the world.
The Column of Victory (1727-30) in the grounds was designed by Henry Herbert, 9th Earl of Pembroke.
There are several recommended walks around the gardens with the longest being around 4 and a half miles!
Secret Garden
The Secret Garden used to be the private garden of the 10th Duke of Marlborough, the present Duke's father. This beautiful garden had fallen into disuse but has been recently restored. The Secret Garden at Blenheim Palace now serves as a place to study plant and tree life as well as being an inspiration to creative endeavours. Visitors to The Secret Garden in the autumn can enjoy a wide variety of seasonal colours and a water feature.
Marlborough Maze
The Marlborough Maze is the world's second largest hedge maze.
The spectacular maze is the only maze its size which is designed as a picture. The maze portrays the 1st Duke of Marlborough's trappings of war. It celebrates that Duke's victory at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704 over a combined French and Bavarian army during the War of the Spanish Succession. At the center of maze, the word 'Blenheim' is spelled out in low hedges. The Marlborough Maze takes about 25 minutes to complete.
The Butterfly House
The Butterfly House is located in the Pleasure Gardens. Visitors can view the full life cycle of the butterflies within. Various birds also make their home here.
Access & Hours
Blenheim Palace
Woodstock, Oxfordshire
OX20 1PX
Tel: 01993 811091
www: blenheimpalace.com
Hours: The park and gardens are both open daily from 9.30 am to 5 pm. Check the website above for opening times of the palace interior. Entry requires a pre-booked arrival time.
The S3 bus from Oxford to Woodstock runs every 30 minutes from Oxford Station and Oxford's Gloucester Green bus station to the palace gates. The number 7 bus also runs to the palace from Oxford Station as does the 500 bus from Oxford Parkway.
Blenheim Palace is located just off the A44 in Woodstock, Oxfordshire. Blenheim is 10 miles (16 km) north west of the city of Oxford - about 20 minutes by car. Free parking is (usually) available.
The luxury four-star, boutique hotel, Malmaison Oxford is a recommended place to stay in Oxford.
Other places of interest in the city include Carfax Tower, the Ashmolean Museum and the Pitt Rivers Museum & Oxford University Natural History Museum.
Access - Getting to Oxford
Oxford is served by London Oxford Airport, in nearby Kidlington, though it has very few flights to other destinations at present.
Oxford has 5 park and ride sites with bus links to the city centre: Pear Tree (bus 300), Redbridge (bus 300), Seacourt (bus 400), Thornhill (bus 400) and Water Eaton (bus 500).
There is frequent coach service between Oxford and London, including the X90, which is operated by the Oxford Bus Company. The Oxford Bus Company also runs services to Heathrow and Gatwick airports. The bus station at Gloucester Green is used mainly by the London and airport buses. National Express coaches and other long-distance buses including route X5 to Milton Keynes and Cambridge also use the station.
Oxford railway station is about 1 km west of the city centre. The station is served by many routes, including CrossCountry services to places as far away as Manchester and Edinburgh. First Great Western operates the station and offers services to London Paddington as well as other destinations such as Worcester.
The Oxford Ring Road surrounds the city centre and close suburbs. The main roads to and from Oxford are the A34 - which connects the North and Midlands to the port of Southampton, the A40, the A44 - which begins in Oxford and extends past Evesham to Worcester, Hereford and Aberystwyth, the A420 - which also begins in Oxford and leads to Bristol by way of Swindon and Chippenham. Oxford is also served by the M40 motorway, which connects London to Birmingham. The M40 comes no closer than 16 km away from the city centre, but it meets the A34 to the north of Oxford.
Accommodation
Oxford is close enough to London to make a day trip easy enough, especially if your hotel is close to Paddington Station. However, if you do stay in Oxford, the city has a range of accommodation to suit all budgets.
Some recommended hotels include the four star Jurys Inn Oxford, the three star Hampton by Hilton Oxford and The Oxford Spires Hotel.
See a listing of hotels in Oxford.
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