DAY 3 BLENHEIM PALACE
Jeanette has always had a burning desire to see Blenheim Palace and my aging knees have a deep aversion to day long bus trips, which this visit would entail, so we went to the Victoria Coach Station (a rather grand edifice with a somewhat down market interior) and I waved her off on the bus.
Her first stop was at Blenheim Palace which unfortunately had a major roof replacement renovation in progress and much of it was covered in cladding and scaffolding.
Jeanette writes: The funds to build Blenheim Palace, and its extensive grounds (5,000 acres which had been a Royal hunting ground) were granted to John Churchill, the 1st Duke of Marlborough, by Queen Anne in appreciation after his victory against the French in 1704. It was to be a home, a chapel and a family mausoleum, and was to rival the Palace of Versailles! John’s choice of Sir John Vanbrugh as the architect did not please his wife Sarah, who preferred Sir Christopher Wren! She continually fought with Vanbrugh over his extravagant designs and use of expensive materials. The build was halted when the Churchills fell out of favour with Queen Anne and decided to exile in Antwerp. When Queen Anne died they came back to England and got on with the building. The Duke did get to spend the last few years of his life at Blenheim but it was not finished until after his death and was never formally completed. Sarah completed the works with other architects and refused to allow Vanbrugh near the place so he didn’t get to see it finished either! John and Sarah are buried in the crypt under the chapel there.
Our guide told us a place can only be called a palace if it belongs to royalty or a religious purpose ie a Pope’s or Bishop’s palace. Blenheim is very much owned by royalty and the Churchills, although living and maintaining Blenheim, pay rent to King Charles for the pleasure. It is a magnificent place filled with the most beautiful artworks, furnishings, and other fine fittings. The huge Library even has a large pipe organ at one end!
Sir Winston Churchill was born at Blenheim Palace when his parents were attending a weekend function there and his mother went into early labour. He spent a lot of time there with his extended family when he was growing up, but of course never lived there.
Then we drove on to Bourton on the Water for a lunch break. It is a dear little town in the Cotswolds which has a shallow manmade stream running through it, with five little bridges, very close together, to cross it. Sheep were the main activity in this area in earlier times and the stream was created to provide a place for the women to wash the fleeces. Today it is more like a little water playground for visitors.
The final stop for the day was Bampton Village, the church and some buildings of which were used in the filming of Downton Abbey – namely Mrs Crawley’s house, the post office, the two pubs and the hospital. We were able to go into the church and to walk through the incredibly old gravestones surrounding it.
It was a long, slow drive back into London in peak traffic and I finally staggered back into the hotel after 7pm, almost 12 hours after leaving it. Brian was rested and ready for dinner so we wandered off to the very good Italian restaurant not far from the hotel for an excellent meal and a welcome glass of wine! A great day.
Brian continues – As for me I had a bit of a nap then went for a wander around Paddington. Not a lot to see apart from Brunel’s masterful Paddington Station
Equally the passenger trains that are operated out of there by the current day Great Western Railway company are very beautiful.
Hardys’ Travels 