Victorians

Blenheim is 300 years old, but there are lots of things in the Palace that are only 100 years old. That means they are Victorian. Have a look around the plan of the Palace above and see what you can find when you come and visit. We are busy adding things to the plan all the time, so if you don’t find what you want in a room today, have another look later on in the month.

Flagstaff Gate (1)

These gates were made by the 7th Duke for the Great Exhibition. They weigh 17 tons. The Duke’s Coat of Arms is in the middle. If you have a closer look at the Coat of Arms you may be able to find two familiar friends.

The Palace was built to celebrate a great battle, the Battle of Blenheim. Have a look around the gates and see if you can find anything to do with battles and fighting.

Coat of Arms (1a)

Can you see your old friends Grinling and Gibbons, our two friendly Wyverns?

Battles and Fighting (1b)

At the top of the gates you can see drums, canon balls, military standards and muskets.

North Corridor (2)

In Victorian times, the marble sink in the North Corridor outside the entrance to the Winston Churchill exhibition was the only sink for all the State Rooms. The maids had to use it to fetch water for the pitchers and ewers as well as ‘slopping out’ the chamber pots.

The Saloon (3)

The dining room at the Palace is called the Saloon. The family still eat their Christmas Dinner in the Saloon. Imagine sitting at the end of this beautiful table. You would find it difficult to reach all the food, and of course, that would be bad manners. Instead there were servants to look after you before the meal, during the meal and after the meal. Can you guess which jobs the people below did?

First State Room (4)

The mother of Consuelo (the 9th Duchess) saw the original of this beautiful Italian cradle in the Doge’s Palace in Venice. She thought it would be perfect for her grandchildren and wanted to buy it - but it wasn’t for sale.

Consuelo’s mother usually had her own way, and she asked a group of Italian craftsmen to make an exact copy for her daughter. They built it for her, it was gilded and dressed, and the 10th Duke (father of the present Duke) actually slept in this cradle when he was a baby.

If you look closely you can see that the gold leaf has worn away in places where people have rocked the cradle to soothe the little baby.

The Long Library (5)

This beautiful organ stands at the end of the Long Library. It was designed by a Victorian called Henry Willis. Music in the home was very important to the Victorians, and when it is played, this wonderful instrument fills the library with magnificent sound.

The organ also represents wonderful engineering, something else that became very important during the Victorian Era.

See if you can read the lovely dedication in the middle of the organ. You may need a closer look.

Teaching Notes

Key Stage 2: History. The Victorian Experience

School groups are taken through the Palace by Blenheim Education Staff who will bring out for the children aspects of the Palace relevant to the study of the Victorian Age with great emphasis on interaction and participation. The contents of the tour is delivered in a pupil-based way, calculated to provide an enjoyable experience.

We look at Blenheim as the stately home at its greatest moment and compare this with the more domestic overall national areas of interest that children also explore in studying Victorians. Family lifestyle and their servants during ‘La Belle Epoque’ is very relevant to National Curriculum requirements.

Teachers are invited to indicate to us in advance any of the features in which they are particularly interested. Teacher pre-visits are strongly recommended and are arranged free of charge. Possible topics include: