Blenheim Palace: UNESCO World Heritage Site

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 Main Entrance Hall

The Green Drawing Room

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

Battle of Blenheim 1704

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

The State Dining Room was designed as a grand Reception Room with walls and ceiling painted 

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

Framed family photographs on the table with photo of Gladys, 9th Duchess of Marlborough,

who looked similar Princess Diana even though Gladys wasn’t part of the Spencer bloodline

Looking from the gilded First State Room through 

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

A beautiful Library with a handsome collection of hardcover tomes

Collection of Dickens Novels

Full set of Proud's History of England

The 1891 Father Willis Organ at the end of the Long Library

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

Small sculpture of Sir Winston Churchill

Chest of Silver cutlery presented to Churchill by the City of Sheffield in 1943,

and was also awarded the Freedom of the City

Churchills Dining Room table and settings

Churchill's gramophone

Churchill's Bedroom when was a child growing up at Bleninheim Place

A prolific and talented painter, This is one of Churchill's original canvases

The Formal Gardens

Blenheim Palace is possibly Lancelot 'Capability' Brown's masterpiece for scale 

with over 2,000 acres of landscaped parkland

The Orangery Restaurant on the grounds of Blenheim Palace overlooks the Duke's Italian Gardens

with views from the terrace across the South Lawn

The Orangery at Blenheim Palace was historically used as a store for orange trees 

and later as a private theatre

The Orangery Restaurant with its traditional floor tiles, huge arched windows

 and elegant glass-panelled ceiling provide a stunning backdrop for our lunch 

The perfect way to begin our lunch - a glass of Blenheim House Champagne

The Orangery Lunch Menu

Chilled Pea and Mint Soup with Blenheim spring onion crème fraiche

Pan-Seared Seabass with Blenheim baby potatoes, roasted fennel, watercress and salsa verde

Steak Burger with melted local cheese, Blenheim Garden Salad, burgers sauce and frites

Sticky Toffee Pudding Pie with toffee sauce and iced cream

Jasmin Tea being poured

Lovely fragrant hot cup of Jasmin tea

www.blenheimpalace.com

Ely Cathedral & Old Fire Engine House Restaurant

Highly regarded by historians and architects for its beauty and size, Ely Cathedral is the only building in the UK to be listed as one of the ‘Seven Wonders of the Medieval World’. Visible for miles around, the Cathedral is often referred to as ‘The Ship of the Fens’, as it towers over the surrounding low-lying fenland. A magnificent structure with a history dating back over 1300 years, Ely has an association with many who have shaped its history including William the Conqueror, Henry III, Edward III, and Oliver Cromwell. More recently the Cathedral has become known as a film location, having being used as a film set for ‘Elizabeth: The Golden Age’, ‘The Other Boleyn Girl’ and ‘The King’s Speech’.

The 14th century Octagon tower and its unique wooden lantern are considered one of the wonders of the medieval world, and are absolutely breathtaking. Named a lantern because it lets in so much light, eight enormous stone columns frame the space, and higher still, the famed Ely Cathedral Lantern shines above, with eight intricate stained-glass windows encircling a panelled wood ceiling, painted in bright colours and forming an eight-point star overhead. 

Ely was once an island surrounded by marshes and famed for its eels, a valuable source of income for the city, in fact the Cathedral was built from stone quarried from Northamptonshire which the the monks paid for with 8000 eels a year. Eels are still caught in the Great River Ouse, and smoked eels are available at the Farmers Market, which we visited while in Ely. The city even has an Eel Festival each May that pays homage to the city’s historical connection with eels and begins with a colourful Eel Parade, where participants dress up in eel costumes and march through the city’s streets, followed by one of the festival’s highlights, the traditional eel-throwing competition. Maybe next time!

Ely cathedral is surrounded by beautiful parkland, meadows and cows

such as this handsome trio in Cherry Hill Park

The Cathedral was built from stone quarried from Barnack in Northamptonshire 

and purchased for 8000 eels a year transported along the river

The magnificent painted timber board ceiling in the nave was painted 

between 1858 and 1862 by Henry Styleman le Strange with scenes from the Old and New Testaments

The cathedral is known for its impressive octagonal tower and breathtaking stained glass windows

One of the wonders of medieval engineering, the 14th-century Octagonal Tower of Ely Cathedral completed in 1342 is considered one of the wonders of the medieval world 

View into the14th Century Lady Chapel

Wandering along Church Lane with a lovely view of Ely Cathedral,

on our way to lunch at Old Fire Engine House Restaurant

The 18th-century Old Fire Engine House Restaurant and Walled Garden in Ely

and the town's horse-drawn fire engine was kept there at the turn of the century

The Old Fire Engine House Restaurant Bar

The Lunch menu changes daily and local seasonal ingredients

Fresh bread from The General Store Bakery on St Mary's Street in Ely

Fresh churned butter

Pea, Lettuce and Mint Soup

Smoked Mackerel and Cream Cheese Paté

Beef Braised with Guiness

Venison Casserole

Fresh Haddock with Prawn and Chive Sauce

Seasonal Vegetable for the table with courgettes, carrots and cabbage

My stepson Harry with little baby Mia, our first granddaughter

Cambridge Burnt Cream

Homemade Rice Pudding with Cherries

Apple and Blackberry Pie with Cream

Dark Chocolate Mousse in a beautiful vintage teacup

Ann Jarman runs the restaurant with two friends since 1986,

who I met while sneaking a peek into the kitchen where braised oxtails were cooking

www.theoldfireenginehouse.co.uk