Blenheim Palace

Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, is one of England's grandest country houses and one of only a handful of non-royal residences to hold the title of palace. It was built between 1705 and 1724 as a gift from a grateful nation to John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, following his decisive victory at the Battle of Blenheim in Bavaria in 1704. Designed by Sir John Vanbrugh in the English Baroque style, with Nicholas Hawksmoor assisting, it is the most theatrical and monumental country house in Britain. In 1874, Winston Churchill was born in a ground-floor room of the palace; a permanent exhibition traces his life from birth through his wartime leadership. The palace's 2,000-acre estate was landscaped by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown in the 1760s, who dammed the River Glyme to create the Grand Lake and planted the sweeping parkland that gives the palace its dramatic setting. The State Rooms are hung with Old Masters and period furnishings and culminate in the Long Library — a 56-metre room lined with books and busts. The formal gardens include the Italian Garden with its ornamental parterre, the Water Terraces designed by Achille Duchene in the early 20th century, a Rose Garden, and a Secret Garden. The Pleasure Gardens area contains a butterfly house, lavender garden, maze, and narrow-gauge railway. Visitors arriving from the Woodstock Gate arch immediately see the Column of Victory across the Grand Lake — one of the most dramatic arrival sequences of any English building. The palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and typically requires a full day to do justice to the house, gardens, exhibitions, and parkland.