I woke at 6:40, having gotten a solid 6:14 hours sleep, which is rare for me. My husband K woke at 7. We ate the breakfast food we'd gotten last night and packed up. It was 61° and cloudy.
We met our daughter J downstairs at 8:25 to deposit our luggage in the hotel closet. We checked out and left at 8:30.
We were at the bus stop diagonally from the Ashmolean at 8:35. We'd given ourselves plenty of time to wait there. We'd noticed people coming up Broad Street from the direction of the train station rather dressed up. We noticed folks turning the corner by us, also dressed up. Then, a guy we'd seen head down the street was back.
A graduate! Soon, we saw some others. We figured that they were going down to get their graduation gear or check in at what I found out was Oxford Student Services down the street. I don't know which college he was graduating from, but it seems there was a ceremony at 10:30 in the Sheldonian ( and one at 1:30). The colleges graduating on this date were Lady Margaret Hall and Corpus Christi. According to news reports, however, Princess Elisabeth of Belgium (the heir to the throne) graduated on this date from Lincoln College. So, maybe, they shared a time.
In any case, the only thing any of us remember from our last visit to Oxford was seeing a group of graduates. And here we were again seeing the same thing. And is not the same date, either. Just serendipity.
We were waiting for the S3 bus, which was due at 9:10, but it didn't show up. At 9:20, J asked the S7 driver who'd just arrived, if he was headed to Blenheim Palace. He was and quite helpfully recommended three one-day passes for $12.40. Even though the bus website said that Apple Pay would work, it did not. We thought that it was because J's was linked to Discover, as were ours. So, she pulled out a Visa and tapped and tickets printed out.
At 9:22, we were on the road through relatively residential Oxford. There were a couple of reasons for going to Blenheim. One was that it is mentioned as a place Elizabeth Bennet and her aunt and uncle visited in Pride and Prejudice. The Great Britain portion of this trip has a lot of Jane Austen overtones. Another reason was that when J was mapping out the trip and looking for things to do in each area we visited, this popped up.
Wikipedia describes it as follows:
Blenheim Palace is a country house in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England. It is the seat of the Dukes of Marlborough. Originally called Blenheim Castle, it has been known as Blenheim Palace since the 19th century. One of England's largest houses, it was built between 1705 and 1722, and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. The palace is named after the 1704 Battle of Blenheim.
The Duke who won the Battle of Blenheim built the palace. It is the only non-royal palace in England.
At 10:00, we left the bus near the gates to the palace grounds. We were actually closer to Woodstock, now, than Oxford. as you can see, we had quite the walk from this gate. But I saved money on the annual passes in our Apple Wallets, because we were not coming by car. (An annual pass was the only option.)
Just inside the gate was the charming Hensington Lodge with its beautiful hydrangeas.
Actually, we completed the walk in less than five minutes and stood in line to show our passes before proceeding to the next gate. It was cool and grey.
As we got past the trees, we could see that the palace was larger from this side than it had seemed.
This next gate was massive and impressive. I also managed to find some beautiful hydrangeas.
So, before we enter the gates, here is the description from UNESCO World Heritage Convention:
Blenheim Palace, in Oxfordshire, was designed by John Vanbrugh. The English nation presented the site to John Churchill, first Duke of Marlborough, in recognition of his victory in 1704 over French and Bavarian troops, a victory which decided the future of the Empire and, in doing so, made him a figure of international importance. The Palace sits within a large walled landscape park, the structure by Vanbrugh overlaid by the designs of Lancelot “Capability” Brown from 1761 onwards.
The design and building of the Palace between 1705 and 1722 represented the beginning of a new style of architecture and its landscaped Park, designed by Lancelot “Capability” Brown, is considered “a naturalistic Versailles”.
In tangible form, Blenheim is an outstanding example of the work of John Vanbrugh and Nicholas Hawksmoor, two of England’s most notable architects. It represents a unique architectural achievement celebrating the triumph of the English armies over the French, and the Palace and its associated Park have exerted great influence on the English Romantic movement which was characterised by the eclecticism of its inspiration, its return to natural sources and its love of nature.
The original landscape set out by John Vanbrugh, who regulated the course of the River Glyme, was later modified by Lancelot “Capability” Brown who created two lakes, seen as one of the greatest examples of naturalistic landscape design.
Impressed? You should be. And a name there should have rung a bell-John Churchill. Yes, Winston Churchill was a descendant and was born here when his grandfather was the Duke of Marlborough.
When we stepped through the gates, this is what we saw to our left:
Wow! It is actually bigger than Buckingham Palace. The Twelfth Duke of Marlborough lives there with his family and it is a popular tourist attraction, as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was named Blenheim because of the Battle of Blenheim in Bavaria at the town now known as Blindheim. The battle was the first major defeat the French had suffered in 50 years. So, of course, Queen Anne wanted to reward the victor. Plus, his wife, Sarah, was a lady-in-waiting to Anne and quite a close friend. Sarah was quite strong-willed and her relationship with the queen became more strained with every disagreement. A final break came in 1711 and both the duke and duchess were dismissed from court, never to see the queen again, who died in 1714.
Sarah was the force behind this palace, as her husband was off fighting for the queen. Thus, it was Sarah who made sure his glorious achievements were lauded in the house. When they were dismissed from court, the money for the palace was cut off. They left England and traveled in Europe. They returned the afternoon of Anne's death. The new king, George I, had fought with the duke during the War of the Spanish Succession and they were friends. George restored the duke to Captain-General of the Army. They were then able to continue work ont he building.
The entrance is quite impressive with it's statues on either side high above and at the center the victorious soldier with the vanquished at his feet.
When we stepped onto the portico and looked up, we were greeted by 6 eyes- three brown and three blue. Catherine McCormack explained them in Business Insider, of all places:
The decoration of the portico dates to 1928 and the patronage of Gladys Deacon, the second wife of the 9th Duke of Marlborough, who commissioned British war artist Colin Gill to paint the eyes of her and her husband in 1928. The duchess allegedly scaled Gill's ladder waving a silk scarf so that he might perfect the exact shade of her famously disarming eyes.
That Great Hall looks like a place where you'd wait to be received by someone important.
We had audio tours on our phones and did our best to go in the correct order. It was mainly a matter of looking at numbers and names on the tour and matching them to where we were.
We stopped first to look at a collection of tin soldiers, but were not convinced that was the first thing to see. We were amazed at how many there were.
They've turned a hallway or two and rooms into giant time lines of the lives of the 1st Duke and Duchess of Marlborough and of the house. Thee was a case with weapons and such from the Battle of Blenheim, as well as one of Queen Anne's crowns. It had been Sarah Churchill's job to choose which crown the queen would wear each day, which begs the question- how many did she have?? Not to mention, why did she give Sarah one?
After this area, we saw the room where Winston Churchill was born, when the house was the home of his grandfather, the 7th Duke of Marlborough. The room does not look as it did when he was born, but rather it has pieces of art by him and about him. He really wasn't a bad painter. The very elaborate painting with him and Queen Victoria is by Edith Grace Wheatley.
We stumbled upon a beautiful portrait of Consuelo (nee Vanderbilt), 9th Duchess of Marlborough. J had been intrigued by her prior to our arrival. She had a lot of money. The duke did not work and needed money to keep Blenheim. Her mother desperately wanted her daughter to be a princess or duchess. Consuelo had no say in this loveless marriage. She said later that her husband made it clear she was to produce "an heir and a spare", and, yes, she was the first person to use that term. The marriage did not last and they each found other lovers. Luckily for Consuelo, after they divorced, she married a man for love and it lasted over 40 years. Unluckily for the duke, he married his mistress and that marriage was awful. Feels like he got his due.
There was no description of this item near her portrait, but I loved it. Blenheim Palace made from toothpicks!
The route now went behind the Great Hall and a sign forced us to look up. It pointed out that during WWII, boys from Malvern College were housed here. During blackouts, they had to climb hidden staircases to reach the 2 foot ledge under the windows in order to close the curtains. Wow!
They actually had a "China Ante Room" just to hold the collection. These two cases hold Meissen china that was made for the palace in exchange for hunting dogs.
The Green Drawing Room was up next and it was chockablock full of family portraits and even modern photos. I was taken with the ornate ceiling. It is the original.
As these houses usually do, there was just a door separating this room from The Red Drawing Room, where the family would entertain guests. I was very excited to be able to get a clear view to do a panoramic. This way, you can see the whole room at once. The funky sofas in the back were courtship sofas, where the chaperone would sit on the end, slightly turned away, to make sure nothing scandalous was happening between the couple on the other side of the barrier. There are handles on either side of the fireplace. These rang a distinctive bell downstairs in the butler's area. I love the color of the room!
Next up was the Green Writing Room. Evidently, it takes a large room to write. The weird painting here and others in the palace are by a modern artist doing an exhibition. Didn't really care to pay attention to them or his name. The family crest is all over the green damask walls and upholstery. The wall hangings are two of the famous Marlborough Tapestries. These show the Battle of Blenheim. The duke is in the red jacket in the tapestry on the left. In the one on the right, there is a Marlborough cart that he supposedly designed to carry war material.
The next room was large and the four walls were covered with paintings. This was the Saloon, which has nothing to do with alcohol. It was the main reception room, where guests would have been greeted and have refreshments before being showed to their rooms. They still use it for entertaining and the family dines here on Christmas Day. It was impossible to get all the paintings in photos thanks to other art. The paintings are all trompe l'oeil and celebrate peace after the War of the Spanish Succession. They actually know who each person is supposed to be.
The First State Room was one of the rooms refurbished by the 9th Duke with the money from the dowry of his wife, Consuelo Vanderbilt, who's teenage portrait hangs over the fireplace. You will also notice a mess of flags behind a chair. These battle standards are "quit rent flags". The house sits on royal land and the annual rent is one such flag delivered annually to Windsor Palace.
The Second State Room features a large portrait of Louis XIV over the fireplace. He and Marlborough had been friends thanks to a battle before Blenheim. No so much after.
Also in this room are some black and white photos. Princess Diana is easily recognized in one of them. Why is she here? I liked the explanation from the South China Post best:
The Spencer family's relationship with the Churchills (the Dukes of Marlborough) dates back 300 years when Charles, 3rd Earl Spencer, married Anne Churchill – Diana's great grandparents (seven generations back) and former British prime minister Sir Winston Churchill's great grandparents (five generations back).
Sir Winston's full name is actually Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill. Fun facts!
Just as an aside, let me point out how interesting the doorknobs are here. I have no idea what is behind the fake metallic tassel.
Next up was the Third State Room, which was originally the State Bedchamber. George III stayed in this room when he came to Blenheim. The room features a Boulle Coffer in the far left corner of the room. The palace website has this about the beautiful coffer:
Designed by André Charles Boulle in around 1685, the Louis XIV coffer is among the finest examples of a process known as marquetry which was pioneered by the French master cabinetmaker.
In Boulle Marquetry, thin sheets of brass, pewter and tortoiseshell are sandwiched together and the design, placed on top, is cut out with a fretsaw, providing identically shaped patterns in each material.
We then found ourselves in the Long Library, which is 183 feet in length and thought to be the second longest room in England. It holds over 10,000 books. During WWI, it was a hospital. During WWII, it was the dormitory and classrooms for Malvern College.
You'll note the statue above (and below). That is of Queen Anne, with her name lacking the 'e' on the pedestal. Even though the queen was dead by the time Sarah commissioned it, she must have done it to honor her former friend.
In the long part of the library above, you'll notice the different shapes on the ceiling. It is thought that paintings were to have gone in them. But, what is really stunning is the ceiling above the statue.
As at Oxford, we saw that the books tended to be sorted by size.
At the end of the room is the magnificent Willis Organ built for the 8th Duke and his second wife beginning in 1888. It was finished in 1891. There is an interesting story from the next century on the palace website:
The boys from Malvern College who stayed during the Second World War were very respectful of their surroundings, or so we thought! Around 20 years ago the 11th Duke of Marlborough received an anonymous letter which contained three of the smallest pipes. It turned out that one of the boys had crept into the organ loft and taken these pipes while they were staying in the room. The letter said; 'It was my husband's dying wish to return these to you.' The original pipes are now back where they should be.
We were now finished with the inside of the palace. We decided not to take the time to see the exhibit on the life and times of Sir Winston, but I wanted to go downstairs to the chapel. The stairs are on the outside of the palace, which is where the tour conveniently dumps you.
The 1st Duke wanted to be buried in his chapel, but, since it was unfinished when he died, he was buried at Westminster Abbey. Sarah wanted a wonderful monument to him, so she made the chapel plain to play up the monument. The duke was moved here, when Sarah died, and they are interred together. A sign explains:
On the monument, designed by William Kent, the Duke is portrayed as a victorious hero, dressed as a Roman general, with Sarah by his side. His two sons, who both died young, also form part of the group. Either side of the sarcophagus are the figures of History, with her quill, and Fame, with her trumpet. The crushed figure below is Envy.
Their four daughters are not represented. Two had died young and Sarah had had a falling out with the other two.
At 11:47, we finished the audio tour and went outside to make our way to the garden. It was warm and there was sun, much to our delight. In just 5 minutes, we went around the building, past the Stables, and to the lovely view of the Water Terraces and River Glyme.
We took about a half hour to roam around and take photos. I avoided stairs as much as possible. So, I did not go down to the river. We did have to climb stairs to the upper terrace, but K and J gave me their arms, which helps a lot more than you'd imagine. It's akin to my using two handrails on narrow stairs.
Oh, the panoramic is the Upper Water Terrace.
We made our way back to the palace and stopped to look out the very fancy gates of the formal entrance. In the distance, we saw the monument that Sarah had had erected to John. The view through the gates themselves wasn't great.
At 12:20, we were having lunch in The Oxforshire Pantry, one of several places to eat at the palace. This one had the advantage of being near the entrance and the shop. It was very busy. I grabbed a table and told them to get me something I'd like. Interestingly, a Coke was Ł2,60, while a Coke Zero was only 2,30. K's black Americano was a pricey Ł3,30. A bag of Burts Lightly Sea Salted Crisps was Ł2. There was one chicken Caesar baguette for Ł7,95 and 2 Ploughman Baguettes that totaled Ł13,50. J grabbed a Victoria sponge for Ł5,50 and K picked up a brownie, whose price I missed. J paid for this meal.
We finished at 12:50 and went over to the shop. Of course, a few items came back with us.
At 1:32, we began the walk back to our bus stop. At 1:43, my right ankle seized up in the back. Such horrible pain! I managed to make it the rest of the way. I even negotiated the tricky street crossing to get to the stop at 1:46. We'd timed it incredibly well. The 53 arrived at 1:49 and a minute later, we were on the road.
From my window, I had a good view. I noticed that the British do not trust drivers to recognize what the yield symbol means. The townhouses were interesting.
We arrived back at the Oxford stop at 2:20. In less than 5 minutes, we were at the hotel to get the luggage. We made quick visits to the staff restroom before leaving at 2:35.
It was a very warm walk to the train station. When we were just across from it, I saw the ox statue that I'd noticed when we first arrived yesterday. Now, I understood its significance.
As we went to the station itself, I noticed this interesting Amazon pickup. I wonder if they just don't deliver to houses the way they do at home.
At 2:56, we were in the station with plenty of time to kill. We got on the train toward London at 3:34 and it left the station a minute later.
We got off at Didcot ("did-kaat or kuht") Parkway at 3:49. We had to find an elevator to go down from platform 5, but to go up stairs to reach platform 1. Argh!
We were on the train to Cardiff, Wales at 4:09. A few minutes later, the trolley came through with snacks. It felt a bit like Harry Potter, even though we bought nothing.
At 5:17, we saw our first example of Welsh as we passed through the Newport station. Then, we saw sheep, wind turbines, and mountains of Wales, but the windows were too dirty to photograph them.
At about 5:30, we pulled into Cardiff Central and got off. At the entrance to the station, I was delighted to find a sign with a ton of Welsh.
We could see our hotel, the Clayton, from the station and it was only a 10 minute walk. J's bag had not arrived.
Room 609 was a triple. It wasn't huge, but it was modern, air-conditioned, and comfortable. The toilet had its own room.
We spent just over an hour getting ourselves situated and catching a breath. We also located stores to get J clothes, and food, the latter being harder, because we wanted Welsh. J also called British Air again and gave them our next destination.
At 6:50, we left. On our way to the sort of mall, we saw some interesting public art. First, there was this pair of hands. Digging around yielded this info:
The 10 feet tall sculpture known as 'All Hands' by Brian Fell, dedicated
in 2001, depicts the Canal workers pulling their boats along with heavy
ropes.
Located on the path of the historic Glamorganshire Canal (Now the X10 bus stop at Custom House Street).
The sculpture appears to be bronze, but it is fabricated from welded steel, & then tinted.
Then, there was the giant piece outside of the Cardiff Central Library. It was called "Alliance" and was byJean-Bernard Métais. This time, I found out we missed something:
A giant hoop, against which leans a giant needle, set into paving
stones, some of which bear single or multiple letters.
We never saw the paving stones.
We got to T K Maxx (ours are T J Maxx) at 7. She got some things there and it was on to Primark at 7:35. She managed to find a carry-on bag to use for the new clothes and toiletries. We left at 7:54 as the store was trying to check out the last customers.
It was now time for dinner. We headed for a restaurant that we'd picked out before leaving the hotel. Just before reaching Pitch Bar and Eatery, we actually passed a German place! So bizarre.
Pitch had an outdoor seating area and what looked like a small area inside. While K and J walked down the small outdoor area, I paused to take pictures. The most important one was this one.
We were glad to hear that there was space for us inside, because it was getting a. bit chilly out. We were seated at a rustic kind of table with the bar just on the other side of the aisle. We wanted Welsh Rarebit, but they were out. So, we worked to find other likely choices and wound up choosing well.
J ordered a Strawberry Cobbler Mocktail for Ł4.50. I got Old Mout Strawberry Apple Cider for Ł5.50 and K ordered a bottle of Brains SA Gold for Ł5.25. For our main courses, we had Lamb Cawl with Sourdough Bread and Welsh Cheese for Ł12, Welsh Sausage (3 Glamorgen) and Mash for Ł12, and Chicken Gorwydd Glas for Ł13.50.
As we ate, we listened to a guy, who was definitely a regular and definitely had had a few, and talked up a storm to the two women working. So much so, that the one apologized as we left, although we'd thought nothing of it.
We left at 9:10 and it was definitely chilly. We had a good view of our hotel and also a bit of what might have been sunset.
We got to the room at 9:15, thoroughly exhausted from our busy day.
My phone counted 12,706 steps for 4.1 miles, but no floors!
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