Blenheim Palace

Designed by architect Sir John Vanbrugh, the palace was as a gift from a grateful nation to John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, for his victory at the battle of Blenheim (originally Blindheim) in 1704, over the forces of Louis XIV of France
Estate was financed originally with £240,000 (£27 million by today’s value) given by Queen Anne in 1705; however, the price almost doubled before the palace was finished in 1722
The scale was vast: Vanbrugh estimated that 1500 men were working on the site in the summer of 1705
The stone for the palace had to be brought from over twenty quarries: at Taynton 136 carters were hauling stone in 1706
Capability Brown, the celebrity gardener to the nobility, created the lake and gardens in the 1760s. On top of a hill stands the obelisk of victory, some 40m high
Sir Winston Churchill, renowned Prime Minister of Britain through World War II, was born here. He is buried in the churchyard at nearby Bladon
Surrounding the estate is a dry-stone wall extending nine miles, and within the grounds are planted some 500,000 trees.
Today Blenheim Palace is home to the 11th Duke and the estate is a major commercial enterprise - even with its own sawmill
Visit Blenheim Palace website