What happens when you bring together a soldier and diplomat, an ambitious and well-connected wife, a playwright and budding architect and a grateful nation? Answer: Blenheim Palace.
Probably the nation's last great gift to an individual, Blenheim Palace stands as a monument to the military exploits of John Churchill, created 1st Duke of Marlborough in 1702 on the accession of Queen Anne.
Before that, his climb up the social ladder had resulted from a combination of military and diplomatic prowess and the forceful personality of Sarah Jennings whom he married in 1673. Almost two decades before Queen Anne ascended to the throne, Sarah was appointed as her Lady of the Bed Chamber and was able to exert considerable influence on her husband's behalf.
Sent to mainland Europe to stem the French expansion during the War of the Spanish Succession, Marlborough won battles at Blenheim (1704), Ramilles (1706), Oudenarde (1708) and Malplaquet (1709). In 1705 the Queen bestowed on him the Manor of Woodstock in Oxfordshire and a Treasury grant of £240,000 to erect a suitable palace showing the nation's gratitude.
Work began in 1705 under the general direction of the architect and playwright, Sir John Vanbrugh, and his assistant, Nicholas Hawksmoor. Sadly, the Duke fell out of political favour in 1710 and, with the money almost exhausted, the project was abandoned. Six years later the Duke had to fund the remainder of the building himself.
Thanks to Vanbrugh's original concept and design, the final outcome was a palace of enormous scale and beauty, demonstrating English Baroque at its finest. The approach to the north front is particularly impressive, with receding planes, colonnades and towers leading by a flight of steps to the central Corinthian portico. Behind the portico stands the Great Hall rising to the full height of the house and crowned by an attic stage to increase the light.
The landscaping of the garden in the mid-17th century by Capability Brown placed this Baroque masterpiece in a near-perfect setting.
The proportions of the palace allow for an interesting Long Gallery and either side of the Saloon there is the now “traditional” enfilade allowing for three drawing rooms and three state rooms. These contain some great works of art (for example, by Reynolds and Sargent), some superb pieces of furniture, exquisite carving (by Grinling Gibbons) and memorabilia from the 1st Duke's exploits.
Our visit in March will open a window on one of the greatest pieces of Baroque architecture in England. It should be an enthralling experience.
Jim Clifford