Chapter 26: Thames Valley: Blenheim

We come to Blenheim Palace on 6 December 2008 mostly to see the Christmas decorations. Blenheim is famous as the home of the Dukes of Marlborough, the Spencer-Churchill family. One of the most important family members was, of course, Sir Winston Churchill, who was born here in 1874. The United Nations designated Blenheim a World Heritage Site in 1987.To get from the car park to the Palace, we take the little narrow-gauge train, which Sammy and I love because we enjoy trains wherever they are! It is early on a crisp, sunny Saturday, the first really cold day I have been out.Any photos I have seen of Blenheim have featured it from its magnificent front, often the long view from the Grand Bridge, or from the air. But tourists to not enter through the monumental iron north gates, but through the East Gate or Triumphal Arch, which is cluttered with cars and busses.
Over the gate is an inscription pointing out that Blenheim was built between 1705 and 1722, "under the auspices of a munificent monarch." Blenheim was the gift of Queen Anne and a grateful nation to the 1st Duke of Marlborough for his great victory at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704 at Blindheim on the River Danube in Bavaria. (I overhear a tour guide later comment that the name became "Blenheim" because the British couldn't--or wouldn't--pronounce "Blindheim.")

It being the Christmas season, one of the services offered here is the sale of Christmas Trees, a variety of which are lined up at the East Gate. Some visitors are here for trees, others to see Blenheim Palace and the grounds; others are here just to take walks on the 2000-acre site.

The doors are massive, made of wrought iron, and impressively decorated.

Sammy is happy taking my official photo once again. Then he and I see if we can close the gate, but it is too heavy for an oldish geezer and a young lad!

A desperate little street urchin begging to be allowed into the Palace to see how the aristocracy lives!The Clock Tower, seen from the East Gate.

Once inside the gates, Sammy is quite happy to be greeted by Mrs. Santa Claus, who told us that despite this being a cool, crisp morning, she enjoys being outside and that her gown is quite cozy!
Sammy could be a little prince himself, standing in front of the private apartments. It impresses me once again how patient the six year old is visiting historic buildings with adults.

Entering the Great Court and the main entrance into the Great Hall and the State Rooms, above and below.

The State Rooms section of the Palace. Really, the Great Court is rather dreary. The three-acre courtyard had been grassed over by the landscape architect "Capability" Brown, but the 9th Duke decided to return it to its original look, in the early 1900s, with cobbles and gravel. So, here the signs read, essentially, "Keep Off the Gravel"!

The great portico, looking upwards to the famous eyes on the ceiling. The six eyes were painted in 1928, under the direction of the American second wife of the 9th Duke of Marlborough. Apparently the eyes are those of the Duke and his wife, Gladys Deacon. Recently restored, they had been damaged by exposure and the leaking portico pediment. There is no documentation of why they were painted, but it is known that the work was done by Colin Gill, a World War I artist from Kent.

The east colonnade, in front of the private apartments, Christmas trees set between the columns. Below is one of the many statues, set into niches amidst the columns.
Below is the Clock Tower Arch, with the lions of England and the cockerels of France, set high on the walls. Designed by Grinling Gibbons.

Below, the west colonnade from the main portico.

Detail of one of the small cannons at the top of the stairway of the portico.
I can't help but notice that the stonework of the stairs and around the courtyard is crumbling in many places and needs extensive restoration. In fact, the whole façade seems to need work.

A representation of the trophies of war in front of the portico. One is constantly reminded that it was victory in war that led to the creation of Blenheim Palace.

A view of the west top floors of the section of Blenheim in which are found the gorgeous State Rooms, showing one of the belvederes. The pediment over the south portico is a complete break from the convention. The flat top is decorated by a trophy bearing the marble bust of Louis XIV looted by Marlborough from Tournai in 1709, weighing 30 tons. The positioning of the bust was an innovative new design in the decoration of a pediment.
The south entry into Blenheim. It faces a great expanse of lawn; sheep graze at the opposite end. Symbolically, the north-south axis of the Palace connects the Column of Victory of the 1st Duke to the north, with the grave of Sir Winston Churchill to the south, in the churchyard of the village of Bladon, (as the guidebook tells me). I must admit, When Sir Winston died in 1965, CBC carried the funeral live on television and I watched it all! Still, it seems to me that the intensive homage to Churchill, who was only a cousin to the 8th Duke, is, in part, only because he became so important to Great Britain. Granted, not only was he born here, but he also proposed to his wife, Clementine Hozier, in the Temple of Diana on the grounds, and was here for his honeymoon. He was the key speaker in a major political rally for 40,000 on the south lawn, in 1947. Admittedly, the displays of artefacts from his life and career are intriguing. I am most fascinated by two objects: one is a chunk of shrapnel, which, in the First World War, fell between Winston and his cousin on the battlefield. The other is of the locks of long, curly hair "cut from his head when he was five years old".
Sammy enjoys a break in the cafe, with a Christmas cookie. I note that at age six, he does not have long, curly hair! In fact, he and I are mostly bald these days.
Into the Palace we go, through the portico, and immediately I notice the change in atmosphere: inside it is warm and cozy, with fireplaces blazing, Christmas decorations beautifully arranged, and a well-maintained, quite spectacular interior. As I put away my camera, I wish I could show you how beautiful it is inside. We immediately go upstairs to see a brand-new multimedia exhibit called "The Untold Story: 300 Years of Enticing Tales," which follows a virtual lady's maid, Grace Ridley, who travels through time to visit the ladies of the Palace. A combination of special effects includes talking portraits, very life-like animated human figures, and projections of real actors performing roles. Well done!

Then we tour the beautiful state rooms; even without your seeing them, it is worth mentioning two rooms: the Great Hall (1716) is architecturally magnificent. It has a 67-foot ceiling with an extraordinary painted ceiling by James Thornhill depicting the 1st Duke planning the Battle of Blenheim, and stone carvings by Grinling Gibbons, with sumptuous Corinthian capitals and the coat of arms of Queen Anne on the keystone of the main arch. The Hall (and most of Blenheim) was designed by Sir John Vanbrugh, assisted by Nicholas Hawksmoor. As I visit great buildings in Britain, these are names that arise often. Although Vanbrugh designed Blenheim, he did not see the project through to completion because of a falling out with the Duke's wife, the Duchess Sarah, who treated him badly and was too critical of his work. Sarah also fell out of favour with the Queen, and she and her husband actually moved to France until the Queen died. Marlborough paid for most of the work on Blenheim himself.

The second room to mention is the Saloon, the state dining room, with incredible drawings on the ceiling and walls by the French artist, Louis Laguerre (1663-1721). This room is an example of three-dimensional painting, or trompe l'œil, "trick-the-eye," a fashionable painting technique at the time. The Duke and his family only use it once yearly, on Christmas Day. Today the table is set for Christmas Dinner and it is stunning. The 20th-century diarist, James Lees-Milne, believed the Saloon at Blenheim could "vie with the most splendid palace rooms in Europe."

I should also mention the Long Library, which is 183-feet long and 32-feet high. It is considered to be Nicholas Hawksmoor's finest room at Blenheim, although Wikipedia attributes it to Christopher Wren. At one end is a beautiful statue of Queen Anne by John Michael Rysbrack; at the other is the Henry Willis organ. The room overlooks the formal Water Terraces and the lake beyond. We do not see it to advantage today, as the entire room is filled with wonderfully decorated round dining tables, eveything in pale blue, for a charity event tonight. (In fact, outside the room, connected with a canopied walkway, is a huge tent with a complete kitchen, full of chefs cooking the food for the event!)

As we leave the palace at the end of the tour, we must walk through the tables and past the great Willis organ; against the rules I look up and snap a picture of its pipes stretching towards the ceiling.
We enter the Chapel from outside. Originally designed with simplicity in mind, to highlight the dramatic monument to the 1st Duke and Duchess and their sons, alterations have occurred over the years, such so that all the Chapel furnishings today are Victorian. A group here already is taking photos, so I do too.

For some reason, the four daughters in the family are not included in the family group. (The sons had died young.) As Marlborough died in 1722 before the Chapel was completed, he was buried in Westminster Abbey but re-interred here with Sarah when she died in 1744. One of the girls, Henrietta, became the 2nd Duchess, as there was no surviving male heir.

Even the Chapel is decorated for Christmas, with a large Nativity Scene. I do not know what the colourful arms high on the wall near the ceiling represent, but the colours are gorgeous.

As we exit the palace we enter the Water Terraces, designed in 1925-1930 by Achille Duchêne. Both terraces contain numerous sculptures.

The sculpture below is one of two sphinxes modelled in lead by H.Ward Willis, created in 1930. They show "the perfect Grecian features of Gladys, the 9th Duke's second Duchess," the woman who ordered the eyes painted on the portico ceiling. The 9th Duke is credited with some of the finest improvements to Blenheim.

Looking toward the dividing wall, the palace in the background dominated by imposing stone belvederes.

The two terraces are linked by a wall of caryatids, carved where they stand by Visseau, and are flanked by tiers of shells.

The "Bernini Fountain," a scaled copy of the fountain in Rome's Piazza Navona given to the 1st Duke, was placed on the second terrace by Duchêne.
Sammy and I have a little tiff when he throws pebbles into the reflecting pool, spoiling my attempts to get photos. Then he walks on the grass, despite numerous signs, which annoys his parents. I have to admit that he copied me, because I ignored the signs, to get a photo, so then we all get grumpy! Sammy cheers up when I have him take another "Grumpy Grampy" photo! Whew!

Before leaving the Terraces, I try to capture the beauty of the lake, noting that one of Blenheim's attractions is fishing, a boat barely visible in the distance.

We leave the Water Terrace and head for the Italian Garden with its stunning gilded mermaid fountain by the American Waldo Story. We do not get closer: this is a private garden for the family, although two tourists have ignored the signs and are in the garden taking photos. I am not quite so brazen. In the background is the Orangery.

After an ice cream break that restores our energy, we spend a few minutes shopping in the main gift shop. Foolishly, on these trips, I have bought far too many postcards and trinkets. I cannot take it all back to Canada! I try to buy less here, so settle on a glass candy cane for the family Christmas tree. Of course, I drop it on the floor of the shop and it breaks! I am happy that the young sales clerk takes pity on this clumsy old man, and she gives me a new one.

We head north from the palace towards the lake, the Grand Bridge, and the Victory Column.

The Column of Victory is a 134-foot-high Doric column standing at the entrance to the Great Avenue in the Park. It is crowned with a lead statue of the 1st Duke, by William Pit. Marlborough is dressed as a Roman general, with eagles at his feet and a Winged Victory in his hand. The column was begun five years after the Duke's death. We do not walk up to it; the telephoto lets me see enough for this trip.
Looking across Queen Pool towards Woodstock. As we walk down to the bridge we are entertained by the Christmas Bells of the church peeling Christmas carols. How perfect is that!
The architect Vanbrugh's Great Bridge was begun in 1708. The main arch was keyed in 1710, measuring 101 feet across. What I learn is that the bridge is actually a building. The 1st Duchess claimed she counted 31 rooms inside. Certainly there are rooms with fireplaces and chimneys, and even an elliptical arch, perhaps for a small theatre. There is no evidence anyone ever lived in it, and the modern visitor has to remember than in the original landscaping, the two lakes were not present; the bridge crossed a small river, which means when built the visible bridge was considerably higher than what we see today. When "Capability" Brown re-designed the landscape in 1764, he dammed the water near Bladon, creating the lakes and allowing the River Glyme to run through the lower parts of the bridge, flooding the ground floors. From the bridge one enjoys the tranquillity of the parkland. The lake is beautiful, with its fishers on land and in boats and the ubiquitous swans.

I think to myself, what a wonderful way to spend a sunshine-filled December day. It probably does not matter if there are any fish, although these fishers seem to be prepared to catch some.

Blenheim Palace is one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture in Britain, and the style, normally found in Italy and France, seems quite appropriate for the countryside of England.

Lady Randolph Churchill (daughter-in-law of the 7th Duke, and mother of Winston Churchill) wrote of Blenheim's park: "....as we passed through the entrance archway and the lovely scenery burst upon me, Randolph said with pardonable pride: This is the finest view in England." Today, I concur; and I expect that when I return in the spring, and see flowers and greenery, I shall be even more impressed.

There is plenty to see here, and we only scratch the surface. If my legs will take it, I eventually want to take the 45-minute walk around the Queen Pool, and the one-mile walk to the Rose Garden, the Water Cascade and Swiss Bridge. I have yet to see the Temple of Diana, the Temple of Health, the Secret Garden, the Marlborough Maze, the Butterfly House, and the Pleasure Gardens.

Truthfully, the outside Christmas lights are going to be a disappointment, so we leave before it gets dark at 4:30. The light reflecting from the gilded gates is more dramatic, so much so that a bride and groom stop by the gate for some wedding photos.

There are often special events at Blenheim Palace, including jousting, an Easter Egg Hunt, Craft Fairs, Horse Trials, Classic Car Shows, and last spring, a picnic for the Ferrari Owners Club!

Although not so obvious in this photo, the moon shines above the Clock Tower, heralding the end of our visit. (Well, perhaps the moon might have risen anyway, but I like the idea!)

I study the intricacy of the wrought-iron work of the north gate. I do not know why this gate is kept closed; perhaps it no longer works. This does not do anything to its beauty, though, the branch-like designs tipped by gold, leaf-like flowers, gleaming in the December sunshine.

Near the East Gate we wait again for the little train to take us back to the car park. Why walk when a fun ride through the park is free for any who want it? On the way we see the Woodstock Gate, towards the town, and the Hensington Gate, for vehicular traffic.

Our last look at Blenheim Palace, thinking about what Sir Winston Churchill once said: "We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us." Blenheim Palace was an inspiration for Sir Winston, not just for his painting--some of his art is on display--but also for his sense of history, so fundamental to his appeal as the great wartime Prime Minister.

The train toot-toots along its track past ancient old trees and verdant lawns. The smile on Sammy's face matches mine; despite his seasonal cold, he seems to have enjoyed his day at Blenheim Palace. I look forward to visiting again--when it is warmer--but I must go back home to Canada next week, so further visits must wait for my return.