At The Home Of The Duke
We spent the day on a short trip driving out of London to Blenheim Palace, about twenty minutes north of Oxford. Accompanying me on this nice excursion was the SSG and the Snowboarder, both of whom were equally keen to get out of the congestion and convulsions of the capital city into the English countryside. And we weren’t disappointed. The early clouds soon lifted, and we were rewarded with minimal traffic, brilliant weather, spectacular attractions, and a nice day out, all in all.
Blenheim Palace is a truly magnificent complex. Set in lush Oxfordshire landscape, it was built on a plot bequeathed by England’s Queen Anne early in the 18th century to John Churchill, the first Duke of Marlborough, after he had led English forces to a great victory over the French in Bavaria. The national treasury contributed what was then a princely sum of £240,000 to aid in the construction of the monumental edifice, designed in what’s known as the English Baroque style.
Blenheim Palace has continued since to serve as the seat of the Dukes of Marlborough. We’re now up to the 11th Duke, with the 12th and 13th already sired and waiting for their turn to lead the family. And when my two friends and I stepped through the Palace door, we were welcomed by an elderly white-haired gentleman whom we assumed was a staff member of the Duke’s household. Perhaps he was. But when we grabbed a brochure later and saw a photograph of the Duke himself, we could help but notice the resemblance with the man who welcomed us. Surely not!?! Well…who knows? But the likeness was real uncanny.
The Palace has another claim to fame – that as the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, whose father, Randolph, was the younger brother of the 8th Duke of Marlborough. And when inside the Palace, we were able to tour a quick exhibition of Churchill's early life, and also the room in which he was born, followed by a quick trot through some of the rooms open to the public – such as the Green and the Red Drawing Rooms, the Salon, and the elegant Long Library, with a full pipe organ at one end.
After a nice lunch in the sun, we proceed to saunter through the large and expansive Palace grounds. Here’s where one’s mood became truly lifted – the cool winds, the open spaces, the lovely scenery, for these are things you don’t really get back in Singapore. Try to lie down on any patch of grass there, and you’d be eaten alive instantly by ants and mosquitoes. I lay down today on the sloping verge, gazing at the lake beyond, and hear nothing but the sounds of nature, the blustery wind, the swaying tree branches. This was bliss. But of course, if we had some Old Chang Kee curry puffs with us, then it would truly have been a perfect day.
Blenheim Palace is a truly magnificent complex. Set in lush Oxfordshire landscape, it was built on a plot bequeathed by England’s Queen Anne early in the 18th century to John Churchill, the first Duke of Marlborough, after he had led English forces to a great victory over the French in Bavaria. The national treasury contributed what was then a princely sum of £240,000 to aid in the construction of the monumental edifice, designed in what’s known as the English Baroque style.
Blenheim Palace has continued since to serve as the seat of the Dukes of Marlborough. We’re now up to the 11th Duke, with the 12th and 13th already sired and waiting for their turn to lead the family. And when my two friends and I stepped through the Palace door, we were welcomed by an elderly white-haired gentleman whom we assumed was a staff member of the Duke’s household. Perhaps he was. But when we grabbed a brochure later and saw a photograph of the Duke himself, we could help but notice the resemblance with the man who welcomed us. Surely not!?! Well…who knows? But the likeness was real uncanny.
The Palace has another claim to fame – that as the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, whose father, Randolph, was the younger brother of the 8th Duke of Marlborough. And when inside the Palace, we were able to tour a quick exhibition of Churchill's early life, and also the room in which he was born, followed by a quick trot through some of the rooms open to the public – such as the Green and the Red Drawing Rooms, the Salon, and the elegant Long Library, with a full pipe organ at one end.
After a nice lunch in the sun, we proceed to saunter through the large and expansive Palace grounds. Here’s where one’s mood became truly lifted – the cool winds, the open spaces, the lovely scenery, for these are things you don’t really get back in Singapore. Try to lie down on any patch of grass there, and you’d be eaten alive instantly by ants and mosquitoes. I lay down today on the sloping verge, gazing at the lake beyond, and hear nothing but the sounds of nature, the blustery wind, the swaying tree branches. This was bliss. But of course, if we had some Old Chang Kee curry puffs with us, then it would truly have been a perfect day.
1 Comments:
Glad u all had a enjoyable trip. I must start visiting my friends who are outside London ... Have yet to pop over to Bristol this trip ... DH
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