Visiting Blenheim Palace

Of all the historic homes we’ve toured, Blenheim Palace might just be my favorite. From the exceptionally painted ceilings, to Winston Churchill’s tight connection to the place, there is beauty and history to be found in every corner of the property.

The palace was built for John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, and is named for John’s victory over the French in the Battle of Blenheim in 1704. As a thank you for this important victory, the Queen granted him the land and money to build this grand house. At the time, John and his wife Sarah were the most influential couple in England and built an estate that reflected this prestige.

170 years later, Winston Churchill was born rather unexpectedly at Blenheim (the home of his grandfather, the 7th Duke of Marlborough) on November 30th, 1874 while his parents were attending a family party at the palace. He maintained a close connection to Blenheim throughout his life, from socializing there as a young man, to taking his girlfriends to Blenheim for getaway weekends to impress them, to ultimately proposing to his wife Clementine in the formal gardens one afternoon when they were surprised by a cloudburst and took refuge in the follies in the garden. (It rained while we were visiting and I can attest that it is a very romantic rain!) Interestingly Winston was first in line to inherit both the title and Blenheim Palace into his 20s, until his cousin was born. History might have been very different had Winston become the 10th Duke of Marlborough!

Visitor notes: Blenheim was a wonderful place to visit with a baby. Most of the gardens were easy to navigate with a stroller, and there were lots of ramps that make it quite accessible. (We did lift the stroller to climb a few sets of stairs.) Most of the interior rooms open for touring are on the ground level and there are many fun things to see. David kept tipping the stroller back so our little boy could look at the many beautiful ceilings.

Seperately, I personally prefer to dress up a bit when visiting these stately homes and encourage you to as well. While most tourists opt for very casual attire I always think how the servants who worked in these beautiful homes throughout the centuries dressed better and took more pride in their appearance than we do today. For an afternoon at Blenheim Place, I opted for a long coat and skirt, paired with kitten heeled booties to ensure I was comfortable for a couple hours touring the grounds. I also think dressing up a bit makes your photographic memories a little sweeter too!

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