Woodstock - Blenheim Palace

Blenheim Palace in Woodstock is the seat of the dukes of Marlborough, the Spencer-Churchill family, and birthplace of Winston Churchill. The spacious parkland includes a large lake and bridge which can be visited without having to buy an entrance ticket. The magnificent palace, with its economical layout, was built between 1701 and 1724 for John Churchill, first Duke of Marlborough, under the direction of the architect, John Vanbrugh, and with the financial support of Queen Anne, who wished to express her thanks to the Duke for his victory in 1704 over the French at the Battle of Blenheim (actually the Battle of Höchstädt). From the main building, with its neo-Classical columned entrance-hall, quadrantal annexs with crowned corner-towers and colonnades lead to the side wings with their large courtyards, through which the visitor makes his way to the vast courtyard in front of the main building. From here it is possible to walk directly into the gardens with their French Roccoco borders and splendid old trees which form part of the English landscaped park created by Lancelot "Capability" Brown. Alternatively the visitor can lose himself among the 200 rooms of the palace itself. Of particular interest are the monumental Great Hall with its painted ceiling (1716) by James Thornhill depicting the Battle of Blenheim, the room commemorating Sir Winston Churchill, the state rooms in all their Baroque splendor with their numerous hanging tapestries (18th century) depicting battle scenes, elegant pieces of furniture and large numbers of portraits by such masters as van Dyck, Reynolds and Kneller, as well as salon creations by Laguerre. The palace chapel contains a grandiose tomb for the first Duke of Marlborough, his wife and children.

There are water, Italian and herb gardens as well as a butterfly house and a maze.