Just outside Oxford lies Blenheim Palace - or better known as the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, born here in 1874. We luckily chose the one sunny day on my last trip to take a visit to this beautiful palace. The gardens are perfect for an idle stroll, spotting man made waterfalls and wandering around the edge of the lake. Arriving by bus we experienced the walk up to the sprawling palace and gardens, once you see the glint of the gold detailed gates your breath is taken away.
The Palace has some unusual details such as the six eyes on the ceiling of the entrance!
There was an exhibition on Winston Churchill himself at the beginning, featuring numerous letters, photographs and memorabilia, my favourite being the letter below from Harrow detailing a fall from a tricycle.
The bed were Churchill was born!
That little flag on the mantlepiece is a sign that the owners have paid their 'rent' to the Queen!
Blenheim is a must visit, combining beautiful gardens, architecture, history, art and fun. Men played cricket on the lawn, there was an organ recital, we got to see coronation gowns and there was an especially interesting exhibition on the Great House at War which featured interesting details on the role of women during the war. Blenheim's long and illustrious history is covered in numerous exhibitions throughout the Palace and stables. The beautiful portraits and photographs of times gone by show how decadent and beautiful the lives of the inhabitants were.
We spent the whole day at the palace, and still didn't manage to see everything. We were extra lucky to receive an annual pass for the same price as a single visit, which means that I will definitely be returning for a sojourn during the summer! The bus to Woodstock (the S3) stops right outside the Ashmolean and only takes about twenty minutes to get to Blenheim, with the driver announcing the stop!
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