Blenheim is also the birthplace of Winston Churchill (his cousin's house, his mother went into labor unexpectedly while visiting). The whole property is still owned by Charles James (Jamie) Spencer-Churchill, the current 12th Duke of Marlborough. Considering the steep ticket price, I'm not sure why we were funding nobility - I should have done more research.
We arrived in Woodstock at 9:20 and looked around a bit while waiting for Blenheim Palace to open at 10:00.
The main entrance, triumphal arch and ticket office, to Blenheim Palace is at the northwest corner of Woodstock.
The Great Hall (main entrance hall) is undergoing a multi-year restoration and is covered with scaffolding outside (1st below) and inside (2nd).
The Birth Room of Sir Winston Churchill. The paintings above the bed were painted by Sir Winston himself.
Photos from our walk through Blenheim Palace are below. Note that although we walked through the Marlborough family's private quarters, photos were NOT allowed.
The Battle of Blenheim Tapestry.
The Long Library and Pipe Organ.
After touring the Palace, we walked around in the gardens. First, the Water Terraces (1925 to 1931) with the famous caryatids and atlantes wall (3rd below).
We spotted several male ring-necked pheasants.
Took a selfie at the Grand Cascade and a panorama at the circular Rose Garden. There were no roses;instead, a ring of purple alliums
Blenheim Roundel Fountain
We left Blenheim after a walk through the huge, and fun, Marlborough Maze.
And on the bus back to Oxford we got a good look at the spiffy London Oxford Airport (EGTK) Terminal.
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