Blenheim Palace: Two opinions are better than one!

Blenheim Palace in all its glory!

Blenheim Palace is one of those places that I expect is on a regular driving route for many people and every time you pass it, you probably think as I do, “I really must go and see what it’s like”. Other than this vague notion that it was Churchill’s family home, I had no idea what it was like or what to expect, only that the word palace evoked this sense of grandeur in my mind. 

How about you Katy? 

As a local, I visited Blenheim Palace as a small child on a school trip. I recall a grand house with many paintings but little else had stayed with me. Like Elle, it was on my 'places to visit list' despite being so close! 

Well a few weeks ago we ended up making a visit. It was a lovely sunny day, if a bit windy, we packed a picnic and off we went to investigate. So, what exactly did we two public historians make of this historic house? 

First Impressions: 

Katy: My immediate reaction upon seeing Blenheim was surprise at how large the building and the surrounding grounds were. When you return to places visited as a child, they are usually much smaller than you remember and so I was stunned at how much land there was in the estate! It is an impressive, aesthetically -pleasing building which deserves the title palace rather than house. We noticed straight away that the car parks were already very full and I was keen to get inside and have a look around! 

Elle: As soon as we drove up the driveway and the Palace came into view I was impressed. It’s an amazing looking building, although not quite what I had imagined. It seemed more continental than I’d perhaps envisaged, the yellowish brick work reminding me more of the Palace of Versailles than other English aristocratic houses and ‘palaces’. I was also amazed at how many people had already arrived, I mean we were early but it was already a hive of activity, and that certainly added to my anticipation about what was in store.  

What does Blenheim Offer: 

We chose to start the day by upgrading our day tickets to an annual pass which is a free upgrade. A lot of heritage institutions are doing this now and while I’m always a little sceptical that I will revisit within the year it’s always worth doing I think, if for no other reason that it gives you the option. However, it was while upgrading our tickets that our attention was drawn to the WW2 memorabilia that was around, including a Winston Churchill look-a-like and military personnel walking around the site. It was explained to us that the day we’d chosen to visit marked the anniversary of the D-Day Landings and several things would be going on to mark this occasion. But had we not been told this, the presence of a spitfire in the courtyard and fly pass would have been bewildering. As it was there was no real attempt to explain this, I think it was pure chance our attendant had been so chatty and told us about it. So that was a little baffling. Anyway… 

Spitfire and pilot taking it easy

Our first stop was to head into the Palace itself. Groups are held in the foyer area and given an explanation of the layout, before being invited to join one of the regular tours that are given of the state rooms. There appeared to be plenty of staff/volunteers around, each of whom came across as very approachable and well informed. You can’t help but overhear sometimes and I noticed how captivated the audience were with the stories and anecdotes they’re being told by their enthusiastic guides, and the sheer size of the groups for that matter. 

Paintings by Winston

We opted to make our own way around, first doing the Winston Churchill Gallery, then the State Rooms and finally the Untold Story gallery. The Winston Churchill exhibit has recently been redone to coincide with the 50th Anniversary of his death. It’s very nicely done and it well presented. A lot of family photographs have been used and objects – I particularly like the inclusion of Churchill’s own artwork for I hadn’t realised he was such a talented and keen painter. The curators have really emphasis certain periods of Winston’s life and his abilities – his childhood and romantic life are featured heavily, his time as a wartime leader and state funeral also receive notable attention, as do his skills as an orator, and some of his famous quotes are printed on blank wall space and onto window coverings. There are notable omissions however; Churchill’s mental health, his career before being Prime Minister and his less palatable views towards those within the British Empire were not included. I think we would both recommend visiting the Churchill War rooms in London for a more detailed understanding of Churchill’s life and personality. Although they did an excellent job of going through Churchill’s main achievements in a physically small space, the information glorified Winston instead of presenting a more balanced portrait of one of Britain’s best loved leaders.  

Public historians are drawn to interactive screens like moths to a flame...

What can be said about state rooms? Well they’re much like any other really, with the exception that they feel more lived in. When we were in the dining room for example, a member of staff was cleaning the glasses and laying the table, we suspected, for an upcoming dinner at the Palace. It’s an occupied residence and you actually get a sense of that, unlike at Windsor Castle for example. Family photographs are strewn about the place and you get a real sense of the people that lived and, still live there. It has a recent history, as well as a historic one.  

Polishing the glasses with an audience

Another state room...

And that just leaves The Untold Story for gallery’s in the main Palace – however I suspect that it was both of our favourite bits, or at least something that really stood out, so might leave that for us to discuss later on. We then opted for lunch in the grounds, overlooking the lake with a commentary of a rowing competition going on in the background. It was noticeably busy, with a huge demographic of visitors – it’s clearly a popular destination. After lunch we took a stroll to the Column of Victory, a memorial to the 1st Duke of Marlborough, and then went for a wander around the gardens, which are beautifully landscaped and provide a nice scenic route for a stroll on a sunny day.  

We also came across The Temple of Diana, which we’d earlier learnt was the location for Winston’s proposal to Clementine and the Water Terraces where we stopped for an afternoon refreshment. Talk about a wedge of cake. The day really did fly by, but we made a last ditch effort to head over to the pleasure grounds which would appear to cater for family groups of visitors, with a butterfly garden and hedge maze.  

It really was a jammed packed day and actually I can now see why they offer an annual ticket. We did a lot, but there’s still things left for us to return and see.  

Cheeky proposal ;)

So what was your favourite part: 

Elle: By far my favourite part was the The Untold Story gallery. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced anything like it. It did really fit into the ‘edutainment’ category of being more like a feature in an amusement park than a historic house, but at the same time I thought it was brilliant. Katy commented on the day how state rooms can all begin to merge together and I couldn’t agree more. However beautiful they are, after a while they all become a bit samey and you don’t really remember specific details. However, The Untold Story really bucked this trend and offers something much more memorable.  

Chatting with the lady of the house

The combined use of reconstruction, mechanics and digital technologies that moved the visitor through a time line and series of experiences and encounters was hugely effective. It was also interspersed with more traditional galleries with text panels, objects on display and screens to interact with – the only drawback being that you didn’t really get a great deal of time to read this material before you were encouraged to move on, everything being timed. I suppose we could have gone around again, but the ‘wow’ factor might have worn off if we only wanted to read the more traditional bits and there was still so much to see. Also, given that much of Blenheim Palace is still an occupied private residence, this method is advantageous in that it presents a fair chunk of the Palace’s timeline in smaller space and doesn’t depend on access to authentic and original rooms. I’m not sure I’d be a fan of historic houses always opting for this approach, but it will certainly make Blenheim stand out in my memory and did add to my overall visitor experience.  

As a side note, I also want to mention how much I loved the gardens - especially the fact that the huge lake and cascades are manmade and part of a design by Capability Brown, who was also responsible for much of the landscape at Longleat. The whole site, palace and gardens, made for a great experience as a visitor – there was so much to see both indoors and out, I loved it!  

Katy: I totally agree with Elle – The Untold Story was excellent! It really helped to explain the family’s history through the ages and worked well for Blenheim given the limited space. If you are slightly wary of live actors and the forced interaction that often occurs, this approach allowed you to be addressed directly and immerse in the time period without the pressure of bantering with the actors. I wish there had been more time to enjoy the interactive sections as they provided additional information about the family and the times, which was fascinating. Unfortunately, it would be difficult to achieve given the strict timing needed for the experience to run smoothly. I found it refreshing that the flaws and quirks of the various family members were acknowledged and explored, rather than presenting them as faultless heroes.  If you are visiting the Palace, I would encourage you to make sure to include this section in your itinerary for its unique approach to discovering the family’s history! 

Beautiful fountains

Did you find anything particularly surprising? 

We don’t know if surprising is the right word or not, but we certainly hadn’t realised that Blenheim Palace wasn’t Winston Churchill’s family home, but rather was the ancestral home of the Churchill family as the Dukes of Marlborough. It took visiting Blenheim for us to piece together his family history and how it was his uncle who inherited the title of the 9th Duke – we hadn’t quite worked out that Winston was a cousin of the direct line and not part of it.  

Did anything else particularly stand out? 

Katy: The grounds were particularly beautiful and I am tempted to return in order to spend the day exploring the secrets gardens, water features and temples at a much more leisurely pace than we did!  

Elle: Yes, I suppose so. I was quite struck by how homely and warm it felt – there were lots of personal items, photographs and the like around which made it feel quite different from other stately homes I’ve been too. And I also hadn’t realised that Winston had trained as an Officer at Sandhurst (just down the road from me) and that he’d seen active service as a cavalry officer in the Queen’s Own Hussars. I have to admit this led me to admire him that little bit more, knowing he’d been a soldier (all be it an officer and war correspondent) because I suspect this later influenced his decisions as a wartime leader. It might not have, but I can’t see how that sort of experience wouldn’t influence you in some way. 

Column of Victory

What was lacking?: 

Elle: I’m not sure anything in particular was lacking, as a visitor I had a really good experience. Although, I suspect I agree with Katy here, that there needed to perhaps be a more balanced exhibit on Churchill, moving away from that narrative of him as the Great War Leader. It’s great they include his childhood and show the room in which he was born and romance with Clementine, but at the same time there’s a lot more that could have been said and challenged. I think it was safe, when it could have been more forward thinking in terms of the Winston Churchill story.  

Katy: What Elle said. It would be great if they allowed people to move beyond the heroic image of Churchill; I have a deeper understanding and a cautious respect towards Winston thanks to the Churchill War rooms’ honest approach. I was a little disappointed that the history of the Palace being used during the Second World War was not emphasised more as that could be a really interesting way to engage the public beyond Winston as a leader.  Also, the oral history films of those who have lived or worked at the Palace are fascinating, and it would be great if these were made more obvious!  

And most importantly, how was the cake? Well it wouldn’t be a public history outing without sampling the cuisine… 

Katy: It was extremely delicious and the generous portion was excellent value for money. I would recommend sharing it...  

Elle: Never thought I’d say it, but that wedge of cake defeated me!  

Challenge accepted... and lost.

So would we recommend it? 

Both: It’s definitely worth a visit!

Lovely day out!

“...In hearts at peace, under an English heaven”: Cowleaze Woods and its secret tragedy

Elle:

I based the name of my blog on the childhood game ‘I-spy’ because I really believe if you are tuned in to the world around you, all you have to do is look and you will find something that has historical significance or a tale of the past to tell. This belief has certainly held true and last weekend provided a great example, for we stumbled (in my case literally) upon a memorial in a place I never would have imagined to find one. 

I spent the weekend with friends in Oxford and we decided to head for a country walk in an area of woodland known as Cowleaze Wood, famous for its annual blanketing of bluebells. As we strolled along, Katy - Oxfordshire resident and our ‘guide’ to the local area - recalled how in the very woodland we were walking there was a memorial to the crew of a Halifax bomber LW579 that crashed in the wood when returning from a bombing attack on Nuremburg during the Second World War. I was extremely surprised by this revelation not least because shortly after this recollection she proceeded to point out the very place and the memorial that has been erected in memory of the 7 crew members who died.

The tragic event is marked by an understated memorial stone and small information panel, with additional information having been attached to a nearby tree - I’m guessing by a local history enthusiast or perhaps relative of one of the casualties. The information panel reads as follows:

‘On 31^st March 1944 the Halifax bomber LW 579 crashed here, killing all seven members of the crew. Their names are inscribed on the stone. They had been on a bombing raid on Nuremburg in East Germany, one of the 1000 planes that took part in the raid.

Contrary to the weather forecast there was brilliant moonlight that night and the planes were attacked by German fighter planes and anti-aircraft guns. Tragically, having survived thousands of miles flown across Europe, they crashed here when they were so nearly home.’ 

As I sat at work on Friday, watching the commemorative ceremony at the cenotaph and honoured the two minutes silence in remembrance of V.E. Day, I couldn’t help but think about these men. Seven men whose individual contributions and deaths are included in the total figure of military and civilian victims of the Second World War (c.450,000 in Britain). It is all too easy to forget the individual sacrifice in favour of the national one but this memorial made me stop and think about each person as an individual, something I, and I’m sure many of us don’t do often enough beyond perhaps, our own families.

It was quite an odd experience being stood in that woodland. In a way it felt quite haunting, walking upon the very ground which had witnessed this catastrophe. It was the middle of nowhere and I was left wondering, how far was the nearest hospital? Would help have come in time to have given the crew at least some hope? Was it immediate or did some time pass before the site was discovered? They were all rather morbid questions that began running through my mind and questions that I’ve never really found myself considering before. With the legacy of the Blitz for example, you don’t tend to see sites where the destruction is still evident and so aren’t really provoked to ask these sorts of questions. The 70+ years since have paved the way for redevelopment and rebuilding and there are very few ‘battlefields’ on UK shores. The only places I can think of that really evoke similar feelings for me here in the UK, are military cemeteries such as Brookwood; sites which bring the enormity of the sacrifice and cost of war home in a really powerful way.

The memorial in Cowleaze wood was in a place that you would least expect to find one, unless you are unfamiliar with the event of course. I suppose, rather naively, I’d never really considered before that sites like this exist in Britain and I think perhaps that’s what I found so poignant about the site. That, and also the fact that it hasn’t been forgotten and that the crew are still remembered – the wreaths and crosses by the memorial providing striking evidence of that.

Finding this memorial prompted me to again look beyond what I know of World War Two and to consider another angle of the conflict; the military casualties lost on home soil. It was rather overwhelming to think that in this small area of Oxfordshire woodland, these men are still remembered for the sacrifice they made in defending our country, in such an intimate and understated way.

Read more from the wonderfully talented Elle by visiting her blog: http://ispyhistory.blogspot.co.uk/

Katy:

 As I have said in other blog posts, history tends to jump out at you when you least expect it. Despite walking in Cowleaze Woods from a young age, it was only a year and a half ago that my family told me about the memorial to the men who tragically died while returning home from their mission. I had drafted a blog post immediately after this discovery but deadlines and Christmas festivities meant I postponed its release. I am grateful I did as it has led to this collaboration of views and insights (plus double the exposure! )

I am unsure as to how many people local or otherwise know of the memorial; it certainly is off the beaten track for dog walkers and nature lovers. As a ‘local’, the memorial reminds me that the Second World War did not just happen abroad or in the cities; my place of picnics and den building is a public site of commemoration dedicated to those who tragically died on their way home. 

At the memorial itself, there is an information sheet pinned to a tree detailing the events of the night. I have summarised what it says here:

The MH-V crew had already survived nineteen missions in which 529 heavy-duty bombers had been lost. For this mission, Sergeant Kelly replaced Flying Officer K King, who usually flew with the crew, as King had come down with a case of shingles. This would prove a blessing in disguise as it spared him from the fate of his comrades. The crew were returning from their mission and were aiming to reach RAF Benson for an emergency landing, suggesting it may have been damaged. Either the aircraft succumbed to the damage sustained or the pilot was unaware of the height of the hill, resulting in a collision with the trees and the craft’s explosion on impact at 5:20 am on 31^st March 1944.

Without this additional information present at the site, the details of the crash would remain unknown. Despite being graphic, this information helps us to imagine the destruction, which occurred in the peaceful woods. More importantly, it allows us to feel connected to the men who died rather than simply seeing a stone monument for those long gone. 

As Elle has said, it is easy to focus on the national struggle rather than considering an individual’s experience. While watching the BBC’s Remembering Victory, I was struck by Bruce Forsyth’s story of the distinct lack of closure experienced by his family due to the label ‘missing’ assigned to his brother in the RAF. It has made me think of those families who survived; having to adjust to the spare chair at the dinner table, knowing that no more treasured letters would arrive. While we look back and celebrate VE Day, let’s take a moment to reflect how close to home tragedy struck and how fortunate we are to live in a time of relative peace in this country.