Day 45 Oxford 31 May 2018

Heavy rain and thunderstorms were predicted for today but the front had slowed and so we decided to go to Blenheim Palace. This is the only non-Royal building in the UK to be a called a palace. The land was a gift to John Churchill the Duke of Marlborough by Queen Anne for thanks in his campaign victories against the French and their allies during the Wars of Spanish Succession.

Blenheim is named after his successful battle in Germany with his Dutch and Holy Roman Empire allies against the Franco-Bavarian forces, thereby preventing them from capturing Vienna in 1704. All to ensure that the French did not put the French king's nephew on the Spanish throne. Still following?

We eventually arrived on the bus at about 10.30 AM, remembering that all museums don’t open until 10AM. It looked really busy with parking and the coaches and they were setting up for a triathlon. We were able to negotiate without too many people as it is a big site. We toured the house and state apartments. They had an interesting, if slightly overlong AV presentation, tracing the history of the palace.

 Entrance hall.

 Model French soldiers.

 Extensive tapestries showing Marlborough's victories.

 The Long Room which is a library and was used in WW1 as a hospital.
Below are shots of the Chapel.

We enjoyed a wonderful fresh scone, possibly the best ever. (No photo sorry.)

We walked through the grounds up to his ginormous (an official architectural term I am sure) monument that was surrounded by sheep and new lambs. This would be the worst security system I have ever seen.

We returned mid-afternoon with showers threatening and returned to the Ashmolean for Part 2.  We saw some more galleries but we still hadn’t finished. They have a gallery of replica sculptures as teaching tools for students.

 The original is in the Vatican Museum and they have coloured it as it would have appeared. It is of course Emperor Augustus and his colourful twin brother.

 Islamic 14th Century lamp which is one of the highlights of the collection.

The Alfred Jewel whose provenance is that King Alfred ordered its creation. The photo doesn't do it justice.