If you are currently planning a trip around the UK and want to tour some of the famous old stately homes and castles then one that you should almost certainly have on your list is Blenheim Palace. Blenheim Palace is a massive and extremely impressive old country house that is located in Woodstock of Oxfordshire. It is famous for being unique as the only non-episcopal house (or country house, more specifically) in England that has been granted the ‘palace’ title. Blenheim Palace is one of the grandest of England’s country houses and has been around since 1705. So beautiful are the house and gardens that they were recognized in 1987 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
It was originally built as a gift for John Churchill, the original Duke of Malborough as thanks from the nation for his spectacular military success against the Bavarians and French during the Battle of Blenheim. The project started off in 1705 but did not finish until 1724, thanks in part to a great deal of political infighting which caused Marlborough to flee into exile. Nevertheless, the project continued and the results were spectacular. Designed and constructed in the unique and brief-lived style of English Baroque, Blenheim Palace has been dividing architectural opinion ever since.
Blenheim Palace has, since then, combined a number of roles, from being a family home, a national monument and a mausoleum. It was the place of birth and then ancestral home to Winston Churchill after being the home of the Churchill family for around 300 years. During that time various new buildings were added and the gardens were sculpted into something quite beautiful. By the end of the 19th Century the Churchill’s were facing ruin and were saved by a tactical American marriage. Ever since then the property has been kept in good health and now is one of the must-see properties of the UK. In addition to the house itself there are over 2000 acres of parkland to explore (sculpted by the world famous Capability Brown) as well as the great lake and the world-famous formal gardens.
Mark is a travel writer and blogger. He loves writing about gorgeous destinations and expensive hotels but mostly ends up writing about rainy days in England and discount travel from Coupon Croc .