One of the greatest stately homes in England, and a Unesco World Heritage Site, Blenheim Palace is the ancestral home of the Churchill family. A monumental baroque fantasy and surrounded by more than 2000 acres of famous landscape designer ‘Capability’ Brown's landscaped Parkland and Formal Gardens, Blenheim houses some of the finest antique collections in Europe. Designed by Sir John Vanbrugh and Nicholas Hawksmoor, and built between 1705 and 1722, Queen Anne gave both the land and the necessary funds to John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough, as thanks for defeating the French at the 1704 Battle of Blenheim. Sir Winston Churchill was born here in 1874, and Blenheim remains to this day as home to the 12th Duke.
Celebrating the 150th anniversary of the birth of Sir Winston Churchill and the pivotal moments that unfolded at Blenheim Palace from his birth to his heartfelt proposal to beloved wife Clementine, the special Churchill Exhibition offered insights into the statesman's life from birth to his role as a wartime leader. Over the years Blenheim has had many public faces, being used as a hospital for wounded soldiers during World War I and a home for evacuees in World War II. Spending an lovely day exploring the Palace, its breathtaking gardens, fascinating Winston Churchhill exhibition, and enjoying a delicious lunch at Blenheim Palace's 18th-century Orangery Restaurant which reopened last year after a £2million restoration, we spent a gorgeous sunny day at one of England's true national treasures.
Detail of crest on the majestic east gates which guard the entrance to Blenheim Palace,
Sir Winston Churchill's birthplace
Blenheim Palace Entrance
The Red Drawing Room
Portrait of the 9th Duke and Duchess of Marlborough and their two sons by John Singer Sargent,
one of my favourite artists, hangs in the Red Drawing Room
The elegant Green Writing Room with the famous Marlborough Tapestries named the 'Victories Series', each one depicting a different campaign
Tapestry celebrating victory in the War of the Spanish Succession with paintings set against
green silk damask walls bearing the Churchill family’s coat of arms
by Louis Laguerre and is used by the Duke and his family for Christmas dinner
The walls of the First State Room are covered with more Blenheim tapestries,
each one depicting military victories of the 1st Duke of Marlborough.
The Churchill family pays rent to Windsor Castle in the form of a French flag
in exchange for the continued use of Blenheim Palace, and it must be remitted annually
to prevent the Royal Family from reclaiming the land
who looked similar Princess Diana even though Gladys wasn’t part of the Spencer bloodline
Julian Newman is the man tasked with looking after the dozens of historic clocks
and timepieces within Blenheim Palace
The Long Library contains over 10,000 volumes with a floor made of English Oak
harvested from the Park and laid in 1722
is the largest organ in a "private" house in Europe
When a key is pressed, each of the 53 'speaking stops' on the organ control air the from the wind chest into the pipes to create a distinctive sound or voices
The West Courtyard and entrance to The Churchill Exhibition,
celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the birth of Sir Winston Churchill at Blenheim Palace
and was also awarded the Freedom of the City
The Formal Gardens
Blenheim Palace is possibly Lancelot 'Capability' Brown's masterpiece for scale
with over 2,000 acres of landscaped parkland
with views from the terrace across the South Lawn
and later as a private theatre
and elegant glass-panelled ceiling provide a stunning backdrop for our lunch
Pan-Seared Seabass with Blenheim baby potatoes, roasted fennel, watercress and salsa verde
No comments:
Post a Comment