Jousting at Blenheim

The highlight of this May weekend, though, was Blenheim Palace, just up the road from Oxford, in regal Woodstock. Edward the Black Prince was born here, they say, and a royal hunting lodge stood here for centuries. Princess Elizabeth (later Elizabeth I) was held here for some months too, by Queen (Bloody) Mary, during the maddest years of her sister's reign.

But it wasn't 'til the 18th Century that Blenheim took the gorgeous form one sees today, when the grounds were gifted by Queen Anne to the first Duke of Marlborough for his victories over the French. Sumptuous, no?

(btw, that's the lovely Heather in yellow... showing just how grand a scale these buildings have!)

Most famous these days as the birthplace of Winston Churchill (not a bad place to grow up), Blenheim opens its doors to tournaments and such...

... and yet here and there are reminders that this is still someone's private home...