Bookable
An Apollonaut travel guide
Moments in a longer story.
Selected milestones in the history of Blenheim Palace.
On this page
From a battle to a World Heritage Site
These dates describe the place you can learn about here. They are not a company timeline for Apollonaut.
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1704
The Battle of Blenheim
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, wins the battle that gives the palace its name.
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1705
Building begins
Work starts on Sir John Vanbrugh’s design at Woodstock.
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1716
Work resumes
After the Queen’s money stops, the Duke restarts the work at his own expense; Thornhill paints the Great Hall ceiling.
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1722
The Duke dies
The Duchess, Sarah, goes on to complete the house.
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1722–1724
The Grand Bridge
Vanbrugh’s bridge is built across the valley of the Glyme.
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1727–1730
The Column of Victory
A 41-metre column is raised in the park.
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1764
Capability Brown
Brown begins the Great Lake by damming the River Glyme.
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1891
The library organ
An organ by Henry Willis & Sons is built for the Long Library.
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November 1895
An American marriage
The 9th Duke marries Consuelo Vanderbilt, whose family’s money helps save the palace.
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1987
World Heritage Site
Blenheim Palace is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Follow the stories behind the dates
A timeline is a beginning. The longer history introduces the people and places; the sources below provide further context.
Read at the source
Sources & further reading
Links lead to the original publishers.
