On June 28, we visited Blenheim Palace, which is in Woodstock. You might not know the name right off the top of your head, which is fine. I didn’t either. Here are some facts, which I googled/learned during my tour for you: it’s where Winston Churchill was born, it was used as a temporary hospital for wounded soldiers during WWI, and it holds a 134 ft. tall column, known as the Column of Victory. “Cool, Karleigh” you say but let’s get to the good stuff. What did it look like? How did it make you feel? Where are your pictures? Calm down, guys. I got the goods you’re looking for. The best way to describe Blenheim Palace is like going back in time. It has a huge amount of grounds and smackdab in the middle is this beautiful palace, built in an 18^th century Baroque architecture style. It’s breathtaking; the walk up to the palace is crazy long and the whole time you struggle to breathe because it’s so beautiful. Suddenly I wasn’t wearing Nike tennis shoes and yoga pants but a huge gown and probably a wig… I’m a little iffy about their style back in the day.

Blenheim Palace is a huge amount of grounds with this tiny – ahem, not so tiny – palace siting in it and, because this is England, we explore the grounds first because rain was in the forecast and you just don’t want to be caught in that mess. So the walk around the grounds starts with crossing this huge bridge to get to the Column of Victory. It’s this huge statue with a guy standing on the top but the cutest part is the sheep – who absolutely do not want you to touch them, thank you very much. The grounds, even as we took many pictures out there and ate lunch outside, are not what take you back to another time and place. They’re breathtaking, no doubt; however, it is the magnitude and gorgeous beauty of Blenheim itself that sends you back.

When you walk out to the gardens, the statues are of ancient figures preparing for battle or tiny cherubic statues beside the fountain. Those made me think of my mom and her own tiny cherub statue in our garden. Yes, I know it’s weird. The gardens are gorgeous, so striking and so so green. Growing up around so much lush grass, I didn’t know I could be in awe at shrubbery. And yet, there I was. However, the Pleasure Gardens, which do give a ton of visual pleasure – are again, not what send you back in time. In fact, it is when you go in and have to wait to climb the stairs. Why, you ask? Because if there are more than 15 people on the staircase at the time, then it will collapse. Yes, collapse.

We did the historic tour first, which consisted of traveling from room to room as the story of the palace is told by a servant of the first mistress as she travels through time to the modern version of the palace – that is the palace during WWII. Not so modern, but you get the picture. As she carries the visitors throughout the history of the museum, it’s as if we – the visitors – become an accessory to her. We travel with her as she explores the building of the palace, the installation of electricity, and the death and rebirth of the last name, Churchill. We become the handmaiden’s object as she travels and, along with her, we experience the glories of Blenheim as they have unfolded over time. It makes the second part of the tour, the self-guided bit, a little staggering. We walked through the palace, through the room in which Winston Churchill was born, and yet it did not affect me as the automated tour did. I was part of the history, an active member but on the self-guided tour, I was just a passerby. 

catch you later,

Karleigh