A few weekends ago, we visited Blenheim Palace with some of our fellow residents at NOOC.
Background:
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| A group photo of 107 and 117 residents |
-Located in Woodstock, just a few miles from where we live
-Built between 1705 and 1724
-Gifted to John Churchill (the 1st Duke of Marlborough) by Queen Anne for his success in the Battle of Blenheim
-The birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill
-Still serves as a home to the 11th Duke of Marlborough, and as mausoleum and national monument
-Named a World Heritage Site in 1987 (which is a pretty big deal, considering the Statue of Liberty and Pyramids of Giza are also on that list)
I think the most exquisite "house" I've ever been in was probably the White House, so walking into the courtyard I was amazed at the size and grandeur of this place.
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| Like the truck in front? I don't. But I guess it gives you some idea of the massiveness of the house. |
As we walked up to the entry, I caught a glimpse of something very strange:
"The eyes were originally painted in 1928 for Gladys Deacon, the American-born second wife of the 9th Duke of Marlborough . The reason for the unusal eyes being painted remains something of a mystery and has baffled the historians as there is no written documentation about them...they are believed to be the eyes of the Duke and Duchess watching over the Palace."
Right. Moving on....
Initially we wandered through several rooms that were kind of a tribute to Winston Churchill, featuring pictures, his letters, paintings and cards, and even the bed and room in which he was born. From there we toured the house with a guide who knows more about the history of this house and family than I will ever know about my own. (In my defense, their history was probably a little more well-documented). I was amazed as she effortlessly listed off the dukes and their wives and children as far back as the 17th century. We walked from room to room as she pointed out the differences in the ceiling patterns and furniture styles. It is an extravagant place where every tapestry, painting, and even chair has a story to tell.
For security reasons, we couldn't take any pictures once inside, but if you want to see pictures from the interior, here is a good starting point. (Or you can google it. Or wiki it. It's going to give way more detail than I will here.)
Initially we wandered through several rooms that were kind of a tribute to Winston Churchill, featuring pictures, his letters, paintings and cards, and even the bed and room in which he was born. From there we toured the house with a guide who knows more about the history of this house and family than I will ever know about my own. (In my defense, their history was probably a little more well-documented). I was amazed as she effortlessly listed off the dukes and their wives and children as far back as the 17th century. We walked from room to room as she pointed out the differences in the ceiling patterns and furniture styles. It is an extravagant place where every tapestry, painting, and even chair has a story to tell.
For security reasons, we couldn't take any pictures once inside, but if you want to see pictures from the interior, here is a good starting point. (Or you can google it. Or wiki it. It's going to give way more detail than I will here.)
After that we were free to look around at the grounds and gardens by ourselves. Here are some highlights.
*Side note: Gardens here are not places to plant squash and tomatoes, but closer to what we Southerners call "backyards"- except they're really exquisite, lush backyards. A Brit might scoff at that definition, but it gets the point across for all us simple folk.
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| Brandon, overjoyed that the grand tour is over |
Have you been wondering how all that is going? Or thinking that all we did was take trips and hang out with our neighbors? Don't worry- updates on how we're both spending our days are coming soon!
so interesting
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echo and nuc med
i'm glad y'all get to take these little excursions and experience such amazing places!
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