One of the only non-Royal, non-episcopal country estates to carry the term “palace”, it was built between 1705 and 1722 and was a tribute to John Churchill, First Duke of Marlborough for his victories against the French and Bavarians in the War of Spanish Succession. Further, it is one of the few country estates still in the family’s possession, with the current Duke of Marlborough, Charles James Spencer-Churchill taking charge of the estate this year on the death of his father. In such a massive home, what secrets and interesting facts can you find? Well, we at Anglotopia have compiled a list of ten of the most interesting pieces of information about this great property.

Open Doors

The Churchills’ home for centuries, Blenheim Palace first opened its doors to the public in 1950. The palace is now a major tourist destination, selling tickets for the palace, gardens, and events throughout the year.

UNESCO

Blenheim Palace is also a World Heritage site as designated by the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization in 1987. As such, it falls under criterion (ii) for the palace’s and park’s early examples of the English Romanticism movement in architecture. It also qualifies under criterion (iv) has it was built for an English national historical figure and is still the seat of the Duke of Marlborough.

By the Numbers

The acreage of the estate sits at 2,100, which is 8,498,398 square meters. The palace has 200 rooms and 1,000 windows. From 1696 to 1891, a window tax existed that required estates as large as Blenheim to pay as much as 8 shillings (£48.43 in today’s money). In response, many homes bricked up some of their windows so as to pay less tax.

Noble Birth

While many of the Churchills were born under the palace’s roof, the most significant was Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill on 30 November 1874. This year marks the 50th anniversary of his death. He is buried nearby at Bladon in the Churchill family plot.

Out for Repairs

The palace’s garden had four ornate sundials, but one went out for repairs and was subsequently lost. It was found more recently in a box along with the bill for its repair.

The Eyes Have It

One of the more unique decorative features of the palace, the eyes on the ceiling of the portico were commissioned by the 9th Duke’s second wife, Gladys Deacon. To get the exact shade of blue right for the three blue eyes, she climbed the scaffold to show the artist a scarf that matched her own eyes. It is unknown whose eyes the three brown ones represent (if anyone).

War Hospital

Much like Downton, Blenheim also served as a convalescence hospital during World War I. During World War II, it served as an evacuation spot for boys from Malvern College in Worcestershire. The palace served as their school for a year, with the boys staying in its rooms and the bathrooms even used as classrooms. During the war it also served as a base of operations for the Home Guard and MI5. The lake even served as a training spot for the D-Day landings.

Capable

The palace’s landscape was designed by Lancelot “Capability” Brown In addition to Blenheim, Brown also served as the landscape architect for Warwick Castle, Harewood House, Bowood House, Milton Abbey, and other locations. He earned his nickname by telling his clients that their estates had great “capability” for landscape improvements. Henry Wise, the gardener to Queen Anne, was responsible for the gardens which are meant to mimic Versailles.

A Monument to Oneself

A 134 foot Column of Victory stands in the park with a statue of John Churchill on it in celebration of his successful military campaigns.

Current Duke

The 12th Duke of Marlborough is James “Jamie” Spencer-Churchill. At this time, it is unknown whether he will reside in the palace, but due to his troubled history, his father appointed a board of trustees to have veto power over the Duke’s decisions regarding the estate.