- 5/6/2025
Category
📚
LearningTranscript
00:00Welcome to Blenheim, Jewel of Oxfordshire, built by Sir John Vambrough and birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill.
00:11This is a real honour, and for me.
00:14With nearly a million visitors annually.
00:16Lots to see then, lots to do.
00:19Exploring the 300-year-old estate.
00:22Voila, the door is open.
00:24It's non-stop.
00:25We're slightly overwhelmed, to be honest.
00:26For the staff behind the grand year.
00:29I've got to protect the palace.
00:30As they conserve.
00:32Oh, that might be huge.
00:33Entertained.
00:34And inspired.
00:36I love the place, I love the people.
00:39Welcome to the beating heart of Britain's greatest palace.
00:47Coming up, Bonnie from the catering team has a lot to stay on top of.
00:52I know everybody's hot drink orders.
00:55Only the best is good enough for the head of retail, Judy.
00:58With the product development, it's got to look great.
01:01And the wall walkers leave no stone unturned.
01:04I very much hope they don't take too much off.
01:07Just over 60 miles from London stands Blenheim Palace, the home of the Spencer Churchill family.
01:14Descendants of the first Duke of Marlborough and his wife Sarah, Queen Anne's favourite in the film of the same name.
01:20Blenheim still houses many treasures dating back to the original family.
01:24And this morning, Deputy Events Manager Julian is passing time doing one of his favourite jobs.
01:31Twice a week I go round the palace and wind the clocks up.
01:35The reason why we have to wind these clocks regularly is because they're not battery operated.
01:40Amongst Blenheim's extensive collection of historic artefacts are their clocks.
01:45With some dating back to the late 1600s that need a bit of manual manipulation.
01:50Now this one is quite unique in the palace where it will go for three to four weeks.
01:59And there's an old sign in here.
02:00I think it's from 1959.
02:03But it tells you how to work the clock itself.
02:05Bit of Blenheim history there which we didn't want to get rid of and keep hidden away in the clock.
02:10But it's quite special.
02:11But not all clocks were created equal.
02:15We have 15 clocks here.
02:16They're all quite special to me.
02:18But this one is one of my favourites.
02:19So it dates from 1775.
02:22Made by John Kaye from London.
02:24It chimes quarter past the hour, half past, quarter to and on the hour.
02:28And it has the dongs as well.
02:30It's just one that's such a nice sound to the chimes itself.
02:36And also it's special.
02:37So here the clock says strike, below it says silent.
02:40So if we have a function in the palace, we don't want this clock chiming away.
02:44We'll put the dial to silent.
02:47And then I can go round the board.
02:50It doesn't make a noise.
02:52And then the clever thing is I'll then put it back to strike.
03:03That's one o'clock.
03:05To wind the clock, I have this special winder here.
03:08And this one stays in the clock itself.
03:09And we'll just move it up gently.
03:12And whilst Julian is a good wind-up merchant, if there's a problem, he knows who to call.
03:18So with these clocks, I'm going to be the practical man on the ground.
03:20So I'll go up round, wind them up and make a log.
03:23So if there's anything wrong with them, if they're not keeping the right time or there are problems with the clocks itself,
03:27I will contact John Richards, our clock maestro.
03:31He's a man with the knowledge.
03:33Master clockmaker and mender John has been bringing his expertise to Blenheim Palace for over 55 years.
03:43And today he's come to look at one clock, which has been really problematic.
03:47This is a clock by Brochet, and it's Louis XIV.
03:51It's almost completely original, and yet it's been hacked about in the past by clockmakers and various people.
03:59It works now, but it didn't.
04:01And it's been in a very bad way.
04:03So I brought the electronic timing gear with me this morning, and the idea is to just check it and see where it is now.
04:11Nobody knows the clocks of Blenheim but John.
04:14And if anyone can fix them, it's him.
04:17When I first left school, I served a five-year engineering apprenticeship.
04:23And I was working with some very talented people, one of whom was interested in clocks.
04:28And, well, it rubbed off on me.
04:30I've actually been at Blenheim now for, I think it's 58 years.
04:37Yes, it was quite a long time, really.
04:40They haven't found me out yet or sacked me, so that can't be bad, can it?
04:47That's pretty good for this clock.
04:49That's 484416.
04:51And we were looking for 483871, so it's losing a bit.
04:56But, um, in that case, well, yeah, okay, well, we might as well just make a slight adjustment.
05:04And with that, the tick time is corrected.
05:06Well, I'll just put this away now.
05:08I think that looks good enough for me.
05:09Meanwhile, inside the pantry cafe, it's nearly time for the free Friday breakfast,
05:21a weekly tradition where staff from all departments get together.
05:24And today, Bonnie and Jack from catering are in before anyone else to set up.
05:30Oh, I'm going to be on that coffee machine this morning for Friday breakfast.
05:33I know everybody's hot drink orders.
05:38How do I like my coffee, Bonnie?
05:40Oh, gosh.
05:42Very fussy.
05:43So, Americano with hot milk, but then he likes two sugars stirred and clockwise.
05:50I don't believe that's fussy.
05:54To build team spirit, whilst the catering team cook,
05:57a different department each week helps serve breakfast for everyone else.
06:01And today, service falls to the HR team, but they're nowhere to be seen.
06:05And with no servers, there's no breakfast.
06:07It's now ten past seven, and the HR team are late for their shift.
06:12Oh, good morning.
06:14Oh, come on, I'm ready.
06:16I'll sort you a drink out.
06:17Yeah.
06:19Philippe from conservation is the first to arrive,
06:22and with the first coffee underway, there's still no sign of HR.
06:27I know how you are in the mornings, but I don't care.
06:29You're late.
06:30Get here now.
06:31All right, see you in a minute.
06:32Bye.
06:33She's going to be about another five minutes.
06:34Unbelievable.
06:35With the last of the hot food ready to go,
06:38and HR now over 20 minutes late,
06:40Jack has decided to go greet them outside.
06:43This is Emma turning up at 20 minutes past seven.
06:49She's our people manager.
06:51What time do you call this, Emma Norridge?
06:54I'm not very good in the morning.
06:56I can't think.
06:57All right, Emma's on washing up.
07:02LAUGHTER
07:03With service finally underway, team bonding can begin.
07:09It makes Fridays easier.
07:11Talk to everyone on the estate.
07:13Makes it a bad team.
07:14It's just a really nice thing they don't have to do.
07:16So, yeah.
07:17Makes Fridays good.
07:19It's actually really important.
07:21Those little conversations happen.
07:23So, you get to meet the foresters.
07:24You get to meet the ecology experts.
07:26You get to meet the gardeners.
07:28And it's a pretty good time to share information of what we're working on.
07:31And actually, a lot of the innovation ideas come from these sorts of meetings.
07:36The food's always excellent.
07:38You can have yoghurt and fruit.
07:40And a more healthy option if you feel like it.
07:42But maybe not today.
07:44Look at that.
07:45It's amazing.
07:48I've only been here for a week.
07:50And I just arrive and I go like this.
07:53Okay?
07:53And watch, watch, watch.
07:54What a number of latte.
07:57I mean, it's just fantastic.
08:01Oh, hello.
08:03How are you?
08:04I'm very well.
08:05Yeah?
08:06You've been on holiday again, haven't you?
08:08Or is it fake tan?
08:09I'm talented.
08:10Everyone here is super talented, super hard work.
08:15They can work anywhere.
08:17They have to want to work here.
08:21And we have to make it worth their while in every way.
08:26But they can't just sit around eating and chatting all day.
08:29There's a palace to open.
08:31And with less than an hour to go,
08:33the cleaning team are making sure every surface shines
08:36in anticipation of today's visitors.
08:38About 11 rooms in the palace that we clean.
08:43This vase is very valuable,
08:45so we're all a bit wary around it.
08:49If anything happens, it's Tom's fault.
08:50It's always Tom's fault.
08:54We have a lovely team,
08:56and we all get on really well together, don't we,
08:58and support each other.
09:00Yeah.
09:01Every day we are in paradise.
09:04It's so lovely.
09:05That was good fun, wasn't it?
09:09And ever in search of perfection,
09:11Trish and Carmen from the palace team
09:13are trying out a new product for buffing the front door.
09:19She wants to focus on here to get rid of the oil
09:22that people have left behind touching without gloves,
09:26even if we cannot stress enough to always touch with gloves.
09:29So if you don't mind, just try this new product
09:33and see which is less abrasive.
09:35See, it will work.
09:38I'll be a way back.
09:39Taking care of the artefacts
09:40is a source of great pride and passion for the team,
09:43who take the role of conservation very seriously.
09:46We are a big family here,
09:47and it doesn't matter what age you are.
09:50It's just we've all got this connection about Blenheim,
09:53and I'm really proud to be part of this amazing team.
09:59But with so many rare artefacts,
10:02it's crucial the team have the right tool for each job.
10:05So testing new products like this
10:06is an important part of the conservation process.
10:09It is making a difference.
10:11It's not as tarnished as I thought it was going to come up with,
10:15but one of these products you can't rush.
10:18It's really satisfying when you can see a difference
10:22in what you're doing,
10:23and the comments from the guests are all amazing.
10:26It makes me feel like what I'm doing
10:28is really making a difference to the palace.
10:31Many visitors like to take a piece of the palace home with them,
10:34and the place to do that is the gift shop.
10:38With 30 minutes still open,
10:39lead creative and head of retail Judy
10:42is getting ready for an influx of customers.
10:46We've got quite a lot of coaches coming in today,
10:50so we should be really, really busy.
10:52And we're just gearing up, so we've got food festival,
10:54so we're just getting all that planned.
10:56Some of the staff are going to the warehouse
10:57to start packing it and getting it all ready.
11:00And we've got to be prepared for everything.
11:01We're such a high-turnover shop
11:06that we've got deliveries in every single day,
11:08and it's getting that balance of getting the deliveries out,
11:11customers coming in,
11:13suddenly we'll be serving the customers,
11:14and then we need to put the deliveries away really quick.
11:17So first thing in the morning,
11:18the guys are on it really, really quickly to get it all ready.
11:22Have we got enough stock ready?
11:24We've got plenty, yes.
11:25It's looking good.
11:27The current gift shop was built in 2012,
11:30and with over 3,000 customers a week,
11:32it brings in almost 3 million pounds a year,
11:35contributing hugely to the palace upkeep.
11:38Always been in the retail all my life.
11:40So when I'm looking at merchandising,
11:41I always like to be creative.
11:43And then since our buyer left, I've taken over the buying.
11:45I've absolutely loved thinking how I can design things
11:48and what would work.
11:51I walk around the palace looking,
11:53what inspires me around the palace and things?
11:55What do customers want?
11:56If it's a cushion or it's an ornament,
11:59where's it going to go?
12:01A simple mug with a palace on,
12:04and also with all the ciphers,
12:05which is on our gates and things.
12:07Little bees on here, and the beehives we have.
12:11And this is all bespoke,
12:12this is all heritage from Blenheim Palace.
12:15Judy works with a crack team
12:17to curate unique merchandise,
12:19and it's not easy to pass her quality control.
12:23With the product development,
12:25it can take weeks, it can take up to a year.
12:28It's got to look great.
12:29So there's so many times I've put something on
12:31when I don't like that, I don't like the colour,
12:34I don't like the signature.
12:35Can we do it again?
12:36I just need to do a final check,
12:39because we're going to be opening the doors any minute.
12:42How are we getting on?
12:44Are we nearly ready to open?
12:45OK, four shelves back here.
12:51You know, the two different colours.
12:53The tea, and then two biscuits.
12:56OK.
12:57The new oven gloves, tea towels,
13:00aprons will look really nice.
13:02And then I've got loads of new pens.
13:04That's good.
13:05You look great.
13:05OK.
13:07Guys, how are you getting on?
13:09Because we're just going to be opening in a minute to the public.
13:11Fine.
13:12It'll be lovely.
13:18The shelves are stocked just in the nick of time,
13:21and the first visitors of the day
13:23can indulge in a little retail therapy.
13:28This is all about Blenheim.
13:30They can't get this anywhere else in the world.
13:32And we're getting customers time and time who come back.
13:35Coming up, a priceless sculpture hangs in the balance.
13:44I feel nervous.
13:46Absolutely.
13:48And Deputy Events Manager Julian winds up in the clock tower.
13:52So I'm known as the Time Lord or the Tick-Tock Master.
14:06Blenheim Palace has stood the test of time for over 300 years.
14:10And inside the palace,
14:12their 15 historic clocks are getting some well-deserved attention,
14:15as Deputy Events Manager Julian shows them off to the public.
14:19So that's where the key goes in.
14:21You can lift that up.
14:22It reveals the hold itself,
14:24and then you can wind the clock.
14:26But time and again,
14:27clockmaker and mender John
14:29has to pop by to make some fine adjustments.
14:32All of the clocks at Blenheim suffer from one thing, really,
14:38and that is dust.
14:40And it comes from the gravel outside.
14:43It's nobody's fault.
14:45I mean, it's hoovered every day,
14:46and it's as clean as a whistle, you would think.
14:49And yet, I can take one of these clocks to pieces,
14:53do whatever's necessary, polish it up,
14:56get everything looking good,
14:57and, you know, within about a fortnight,
14:59you could write your name in the dust on the plates.
15:03But as John only visits Blenheim,
15:05training and working together with palace staff
15:07is essential for the upkeep of these precious clocks.
15:10Through the years,
15:11we've had a succession of people winding,
15:13and I've trained various people up.
15:16I think by far the best and steadiest man that we've ever had
15:20is Julian, who we're fortunate enough to have now.
15:24He's really first-class chap,
15:26so we're very lucky.
15:28And just in the nick of time,
15:31Julian has finished the tours
15:32and has one final important clock to wind.
15:36This is the bell tower.
15:38It's our version of the Big Ben.
15:40The clock in the bell tower was made in 1710 by Langley Bradley,
15:44who made the original clock for St Paul's Cathedral.
15:47So here we're winding the big clock here in the Great Courtyard.
15:51The majority of it is original,
15:52but we have had to update things over the years.
15:54We have the clock face here,
15:56so if for any reason the clock goes out of time,
15:59we just use this little hand here,
16:01and it moves gently forward.
16:04With the clocks, you never go back.
16:06You can't wind it back,
16:07because it will just confuse everything,
16:09and, yeah, it would be a disaster.
16:13Julian has been winding the clock for years,
16:15which has brought him some notoriety.
16:18Twice a year I get lots of publicity in the newspapers.
16:21When the clocks go forward or the clocks go back.
16:23So I'm known as the time lord or the tick-tock master,
16:27and there's lots of pictures of me sort of just playing,
16:30posing with the clocks
16:32to make sure they're going forward or backwards.
16:34So a bit of celebrity local fame there for me.
16:37There may be no glitzy photo shoot this morning,
16:39but it's just another day at the office for Julian.
16:41Meanwhile, on top of the palace,
16:44work is beginning for Blenheim's biggest restoration project to date,
16:48replacing a large section of the roof.
16:51Today, the Built Heritage team are in one of their regular meetings
16:53to ensure their latest project
16:55doesn't have any negative impact on the guests.
16:58Rather than covering the grip of all those scaffolds,
17:01we're going to be really clever and sign it across the structure,
17:04thanks to my fantastic structural engineer,
17:06and still have all this space, baby, that we'll cover up to use,
17:09so the capacity doesn't change.
17:11The renovation is essential
17:13as much of the roof is over 100 years old,
17:15and water leaks inside threaten the frescoes and the palace itself.
17:19With that in mind, architects Harry and Olivia
17:22are carrying out essential surveys on the roof,
17:25and they're using the opportunity
17:26to give apprentice Amy a learning experience.
17:29I always feel like I'm a student every day.
17:31Just being able to listen to them,
17:32soak in all the information,
17:34and then being able to put it into practical use,
17:36there really is no place like it.
17:38I guess this is quite a good place to show you, Amy.
17:42I know that you're fully aware of the issues with the roof
17:44and the condition and how badly it's leaking into the void below,
17:48but this is a very good example
17:50of how poorly the gutters are functioning currently.
17:53You can see all the water pooling there,
17:56just the fact that it's sitting there is a problem.
17:57Such a huge task needs to be planned in minute detail,
18:02and Blenheim are keen to honour the building's heritage.
18:05Originally, all of the roofs would have been lead,
18:07so these have also been replaced with slate
18:08at some point in the 20th century, we understand.
18:11All of that lead dates back to 1840s, I think.
18:15So we're, as part of this project, looking at reinstating that detail,
18:18so reverting back to what the original design of the roof would have been.
18:21But, obviously, with improved lead detailing,
18:24this means that we can mitigate the risks that are happening
18:27because this is poorly detailed.
18:31The team have discovered many interesting historical oddities,
18:34one of which helped them to date when the lead was laid.
18:38There's a part where you can see a date
18:40ascribed into the lead work somewhere.
18:43Is it here?
18:44Oh, yeah, 1844.
18:45Oh, yeah, 18... Oh, well done.
18:47So, yeah, that's how we've kind of dated this lead.
18:48Obviously, we understood there's record information
18:51that they ordered a huge amount of lead in the 1840s,
18:54but there's no drawn information on what they actually did with it.
18:57To think that the people who last did the roofs here
19:00were likely sort of 200 years ago,
19:02and then we'll be carrying out this major project,
19:04and then hopefully people won't need to do anything on the roofs again
19:07for another sort of 150, 200 years, that's really special.
19:11With little record of the original build,
19:13it's important that the team do their own research.
19:16And today, they're using specialist equipment
19:18to check the internal pipes
19:20that run from the roof deep into the palace.
19:23What we're doing here is dropping a camera down
19:25to inspect the condition of the pipes internally.
19:28This really helps with picking up anything that we need to do
19:31as part of this project for the longevity of all the drainage.
19:34It's important these pipes are checked thoroughly,
19:37as any undiscovered blockage
19:39could set the whole project back months.
19:41But the good thing is,
19:45with the vertical drainage coming off this roof,
19:48everything seemed to look quite clear.
19:51Yeah, that's really good.
19:52Well, we haven't seen any evidence of a leak
19:55or any water ingress in the walls, exactly, which is good.
19:59So, obviously, we're not expecting anything major.
20:02But you can see there's three inlets, actually, into this.
20:05Yeah, and you can see they're all clear, which is great.
20:07Yeah, yeah.
20:07Right. Brilliant.
20:09With the good news from the roof surveys
20:11and no foreseeable delays,
20:13the team will be able to stay on track
20:14with the restoration project.
20:16And while the future is looking bright,
20:18the guests and service team are making sure
20:19that current visitors are well entertained and informed,
20:22with their garden buggy tours
20:24showing the highlights of the formal gardens.
20:26And today, Ian,
20:27who has worked part-time at the palace for five years,
20:29is in the driver's seat.
20:31I was in the Royal Air Force for 38 years,
20:34but I thought I wanted a job
20:35that would keep me fairly active.
20:38I'm a palace host.
20:39I do the tours in this buggy.
20:42I also drive the train on Mondays.
20:45I try and push you as much information
20:46as I can about the palace
20:48and the people who come on the tours.
20:50Always in a good mood,
20:52so it always puts you in a good mood as well.
20:57Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
20:59Welcome to Blenheim Palace,
21:01the home of the 12th Duke of Marlborough.
21:02And it certainly is a fun bus.
21:07Is that the Harry Potter tree?
21:09No, I'll point that out in a minute.
21:10Slow down, Tiger.
21:11I'll tell you in a second.
21:11No, sorry.
21:12She's peeing cheese, isn't she?
21:17So right in front of us,
21:18this is the River Glimp,
21:20and coming up now is the Cascade.
21:24It's a whirlwind tour
21:26of some of Blenheim's most picturesque spots.
21:29Right, we've got everybody.
21:30Yeah.
21:31Nobody's fallen in.
21:32And some lesser-known hidden gems.
21:34In 1950,
21:38they owned it to the general public,
21:40so they built a special garden
21:42just for the family,
21:44and that's called
21:45the Secret Garden.
21:47Ah, well, I can't tell you
21:48because it's secret.
21:50But if you're up here on the left,
21:51you'll see again
21:52the big sign that says Secret Garden.
21:54But some people
21:57are waiting for a particular highlight.
22:00Where's the Harry Potter tree?
22:01Yes, get your priorities in order.
22:06I'll be there in the same.
22:08The two-and-a-half-mile tour
22:09keeps guests entertained
22:11for 45 minutes,
22:12and Ian is a fountain of knowledge.
22:14On your left-hand side,
22:15you can see the roundel.
22:17So the chariots have gone away
22:18for restoration.
22:19It should be on the centre
22:20of that fountain.
22:21And finally,
22:22what they've all been waiting for.
22:24Right, we need hush now
22:25because I must point out
22:26Harry Potter.
22:28We can go on or something.
22:30We can carry on.
22:30No, we're not.
22:31We can sleep tonight.
22:32We've seen the Harry Potter tree do.
22:34It's another tour done,
22:36and Ian's expertise
22:38and enthusiasm
22:39has created another
22:40memorable experience
22:41for visitors.
22:43It was just fun
22:44to stop and get a little trivia.
22:46Like, there's a statue here,
22:47there's a tree there,
22:48this is the secret garden
22:49that is no longer secret.
22:52I love historical trivia.
22:54But there's one thing
22:55missing from the tour,
22:57the roundel sculpture,
22:58which sits atop the fountain.
22:59But for keeper of palace
23:01and collections,
23:02Kate,
23:02today is an exciting day
23:04as it's due
23:05to make its return.
23:06Part 5 to CCTV.
23:08Good.
23:09We need to leave
23:10the great court
23:10in a buggy shortly.
23:11Could you open the gates, please?
23:13Good.
23:13The statue,
23:16at its finest
23:16in the early 1900s,
23:18has been away
23:18for restoration
23:19for three months,
23:20so she's on her way
23:21to meet Conservator John
23:22and garden crew
23:23to witness its safe delivery.
23:25Oh, there it is.
23:27This is very exciting.
23:30Hello.
23:31Hello.
23:31Looks good.
23:33Looks good.
23:33It's really good.
23:35Looks really good.
23:37Previously known
23:38as the roundabout,
23:39the sculpture
23:40is somewhat of a mystery.
23:42For years,
23:43the estate
23:44didn't have the resources
23:45or the numbers of gardeners
23:46to be able
23:47to take care of every area.
23:48So as the team grew,
23:50we started to make
23:51all these lovely discoveries
23:53of things that had been
23:54essentially eaten
23:55by the vegetation.
23:57Sadly,
23:58our collections records
23:59are not complete.
24:02Obviously,
24:02for a long time,
24:03people didn't think
24:04it was important
24:05to save this information.
24:08How much do you think
24:08it weighs?
24:091.2 tonnes.
24:11We weighed it.
24:11Wow.
24:12OK.
24:13That's heavy.
24:14I think we got
24:14a big enough crane
24:15to do the job, so...
24:17After 12 weeks
24:19of restoration work,
24:20it's time for the
24:21roundabout sculpture
24:21to return home.
24:23The original layer
24:24of bronze paint
24:25had peeled off
24:26so you can serve
24:27the surface
24:27and now it's been
24:28painted again
24:29and it should be
24:30fine to be protected
24:31for the next,
24:33I would hope,
24:3315 to 20 years.
24:36And just like
24:37the restoration,
24:38the installation
24:39must be carried out
24:40with the utmost care
24:41and precision.
24:45Oh, there we go.
24:48Oh.
24:53What if it goes?
24:54It wobbles.
24:56You're nervous.
25:00Absolutely.
25:06Coming up,
25:07the wall walkers
25:08are hanging around
25:08the palace.
25:09My biggest worry here
25:10is we'll find something
25:11that we weren't
25:12expected to find.
25:15And Built Heritage
25:16have a bucket load
25:17of trouble with the roof.
25:18You can see the wet
25:19patches that are quite
25:20a lot darker.
25:21Blenheim's historic house
25:33and sprawling estate
25:34have evolved over the decades
25:36and Blenheim are making
25:37new discoveries
25:38all the time.
25:39One recent find
25:40is the Roundel sculpture
25:42and keeper of palace Kate
25:43is with colleague Eleanor
25:45to see its safe return.
25:46I feel nervous.
25:48Absolutely.
25:52Yay!
25:54It's landed.
25:56Love it!
25:57All that's left to do now
25:58is turn the water on
26:00and it's not only Kate
26:01and the team
26:02that are standing by.
26:03The ducks are waiting
26:04for the water.
26:05I am going to have to move.
26:06Eleanor's scared
26:07of all birds.
26:08Oi!
26:08Oh!
26:10She's breaking out
26:11in a sweat.
26:12Oi!
26:14Oi!
26:16But for Conservator John,
26:20the position of the water jets
26:22could become a problem.
26:23Too much water
26:24can damage it
26:26in the long term.
26:26But the children
26:29of the Roundel
26:30are in for a longer
26:31shower than expected
26:32because adjusting
26:33the nozzles
26:33is proving tricky.
26:38It looks beautiful.
26:40It's lovely to see it
26:41back in play
26:42and the water running.
26:44Now we'll get
26:45the benches back
26:45and people can enjoy it.
26:47And thankfully
26:48for bird-phobic Eleanor,
26:50it's time to go back
26:51to the great indoors.
26:52Oh!
26:52Oh!
26:52Oh!
26:54Oh!
26:54Oh!
26:54Oh!
26:56Meanwhile,
26:58inside the palace offices,
26:59each department
27:00is hard at work,
27:01making sure Blenheim
27:02is a well-oiled machine.
27:04But for Natalie
27:04and Julian from events,
27:06there's a spanner
27:07in the works.
27:08Jules?
27:09Yeah?
27:10Showground.
27:11It's not looking good.
27:12We need to have a look
27:13at it, I think.
27:14I'm free for five minutes.
27:15Do you want to do it now?
27:16Yeah.
27:17Come on,
27:17let's go and have a look.
27:18The team are gearing up
27:19for the annual food festival,
27:21but the recent bouts of rain
27:22could spell potential disaster.
27:24So, have you been up
27:26to the showground?
27:26Yeah, I was there this morning
27:27and this area
27:29is still a boat.
27:31You can't use that at all.
27:33It's not too bad in the middle,
27:34but my worry is
27:35all the traders
27:36will be coming in
27:36and coming off.
27:37So, they'll get to this section,
27:39that's fine.
27:40Getting there
27:40is where we're going
27:41to cause the issues.
27:42Okay.
27:43And we know on the Monday,
27:44the final day,
27:44that's when the heavens
27:45are going to open again
27:46and all these 160 traders
27:48have to get off that grass.
27:49It can't happen.
27:51No.
27:51With time against them,
27:53they need to come up
27:54with a plan B.
27:56I've got the little chariot
27:57if you want to jump in there
27:57and make it a bit quicker.
27:58And their carriage awaits
27:59to take them
28:00to find firmer ground.
28:02Thank you very much.
28:03Thank you, sir.
28:04Richard, can you take us
28:05to the walled garden car park now?
28:06Yes.
28:07Let's see what our options
28:08are like down there.
28:14This is the first time
28:15since I've been here
28:16that we've had to make
28:17a call like this.
28:18We're lucky to have a great team
28:20and work with great people
28:21that can help us
28:21make these things happen.
28:24But in my time,
28:25we've never had to move
28:26something from the showground.
28:27No, no, no, no.
28:28It's a shame.
28:29But no, we'll make this work.
28:30We're not going to cancel.
28:31We're going to have it.
28:33The show must go on.
28:35The showground
28:36is normally a stable location
28:37for festivals at Blenheim,
28:38but it's clear
28:40they've made the right call.
28:41Even this, but you can see,
28:42it's just not drying out
28:43in certain areas.
28:44The geese and the ducks
28:45are happy.
28:46They're happy.
28:46Thankfully,
28:48at the walled gardens,
28:50the team is spoiled for choice.
28:53Actually, it's bigger
28:54than I remember.
28:55You can actually look
28:55at the space
28:56and what you can use here.
28:58It's the perfect antidote
28:59for their soggy problems.
29:02That's ideal.
29:03The thing as well
29:03is that they'll have
29:04a different feel,
29:04but you've got the walls
29:05around it,
29:06and it's more kind of
29:07enclosed and special.
29:08I think it's a proper
29:09festival cooked down here.
29:11Yeah, I think we'll have
29:12to reach out
29:12to the wider team as well,
29:13so the gardens
29:14will need their help
29:14getting people in and out of here,
29:16maintenance,
29:17because there's different
29:17sort of plumbing
29:18and power of the essentials,
29:20that sort of thing.
29:20Yeah, it's going to be
29:21a full-team effort.
29:23Great job, Julian.
29:28Decision made.
29:29It's time to set up
29:30for the food festival.
29:32Really looking forward to it.
29:33We've been told
29:34it's very, very busy.
29:36The people that come here
29:37are just absolute foodies.
29:39Really lovely day.
29:41Exciting.
29:42Nice seating.
29:47The food festival
29:49has been running annually
29:50at Blenheim for a decade,
29:51but the last-minute
29:52change of location
29:53means Georgie and Angus
29:55from the food festival team
29:56have very much
29:57got their hands full.
29:59So on the upside,
29:59it's beautiful,
30:00absolutely stunning.
30:01The downside is
30:02we've never been here before,
30:04and doing an event
30:04on a new site
30:05is ten times harder.
30:07And like most events
30:08at Blenheim,
30:09it's far from
30:10a low-key affair.
30:11The whole thing
30:12will be full of
30:13160 stores.
30:14We've got Raymond Blanc,
30:16who's our patron.
30:17We've got Olivia Burt,
30:19who's a master chef
30:20to the finalist.
30:21Sam Eats,
30:22who's got ten million
30:23TikTok followers.
30:24So we're hoping
30:25he's going to drive
30:25lots of traffic
30:26to the festival.
30:27Terrific.
30:28Just pray for sunshine.
30:29All the last-minute
30:35hard work
30:35has been worth it
30:36as the crowds
30:37come flocking in.
30:43It's always a bit tricky
30:44when you're moving
30:44an event,
30:45which has been with us
30:45for many years,
30:46to a new location.
30:47It brings up
30:48different issues
30:49which you didn't
30:49really think about.
30:50This worked well.
30:51So I'm having an hourly
30:52update of what's coming through.
30:53And at the moment,
30:54we're tracking
30:54what we've done previously.
30:55And then tomorrow,
30:56the word I get out
30:57that we're down
30:57in a new location,
30:58so the numbers
30:59will be even more.
31:00But come the end
31:01of the day,
31:01I think we'll have
31:02more than we did
31:03this time last year.
31:06Meanwhile,
31:07You can see
31:08the wet patches
31:09that are quite a lot
31:10darker.
31:10And they'll be
31:11from the rain
31:12we had this morning
31:13or recently as well.
31:14There is damage
31:15by the bucket load
31:16inside the roof space
31:17above the Great Hall
31:18and a chance
31:19for built heritage
31:20apprentice Amy
31:21to see it close up.
31:24I just wanted
31:24to show you this space
31:25because it's
31:25a really special space
31:26being a lot of
31:27historic fabric.
31:28Yeah.
31:29We think one
31:29of the oldest parts
31:31building,
31:31this is obviously
31:31all the original roof
31:32structure is still
31:33in situ here
31:34and is pretty untouched
31:35compared to all
31:36of the other roofs
31:36that have been
31:37heavily modified.
31:38So they can see
31:39all of the staining,
31:40which is why
31:40you've got all
31:41of these buckets out.
31:43It's a massive
31:44learning experience
31:44for Amy,
31:45whose apprenticeship
31:46is giving her
31:47unparalleled experience
31:48in the field.
31:49It's quite cool
31:50to know actually
31:50that you can start
31:51from the beginning
31:52and learn everything
31:53that you need to know
31:54and apply it
31:55into a practical context.
31:57For example,
31:57I was on the roof
31:58with our clerk of works
31:59talking about surveys.
32:01It's really cool
32:02that I can learn
32:03that in the classroom
32:04and then have
32:05pretty much
32:05the next day
32:06the practical use
32:07on the roof as well.
32:08The 300-year-old
32:10attic timbers
32:11are in desperate
32:11need of repair,
32:13making this room
32:13a focus for the
32:14restoration project,
32:16which cannot
32:16come soon enough.
32:18Directly below this,
32:19there's a suspended
32:20plaster ceiling,
32:22which has obviously
32:22got the original
32:24painted plaster work
32:25on it.
32:26All the buckets
32:26are here to catch
32:27the water,
32:27to stop it
32:28as much as possible
32:30infiltrating down
32:30into the Great Hall
32:31and you know
32:32there's already
32:32damage to that.
32:34But these temporary
32:34measures are not enough
32:36to protect the
32:37historic ceiling art
32:38by Sir James Thornhill,
32:39which depicts
32:40the first Duke of
32:41Marlborough kneeling
32:42in front of Britannia.
32:44And for Kelly,
32:45head of Built Heritage,
32:46it's a chance to check
32:47how much Amy's knowledge
32:48has grown.
32:49You can see
32:50the damage
32:51around the outside
32:53of the painting
32:54that is directly
32:54underneath all those
32:55gutters that need
32:56significant amount
32:57of repair.
32:58Right.
32:58Well, from reading
32:59the report,
33:00it looks like the
33:01white runs that
33:02you can kind of see
33:03coming down
33:04is from repeated
33:06water infiltration
33:07and that's also
33:08causing some salting
33:10or crystallization.
33:12Do you remember
33:12reading anything
33:12about mould?
33:14I did see something.
33:15They were saying
33:16there was two types
33:17of mould.
33:17There was a brown mould
33:18and a white mould
33:18but after I read
33:20the word mould.
33:22So, yes,
33:23you have to get
33:23a specialist in
33:24to remove those.
33:26And if you look
33:26really closely,
33:27actually,
33:28I mean,
33:28I can see one,
33:29two, three or four
33:31big moulds
33:32that are sort of
33:32the size of two palms
33:34or more,
33:35like dinner plates.
33:35Yeah.
33:36And we've got
33:36some significant work
33:37there to repair.
33:38If the mould
33:39and damp aren't
33:39treated soon,
33:40it'll be curtains
33:41for the painted ceiling.
33:42Back in the shop,
33:45there's no rest
33:46for Judy,
33:47as preparations
33:48are already underway
33:49for the forthcoming
33:50Flower Show
33:50and she's been working
33:52on a new range
33:53of products
33:53to coincide
33:54with its launch.
33:55So, this is
33:57really exciting.
33:58We have designed
33:59new estate garden
34:00products,
34:01picking out
34:02fruits and vegetables
34:03and things we've been
34:04using in the
34:05kitchen gardens
34:06and especially
34:07our apple.
34:08It's the
34:09blenum orange.
34:09It's a very famous
34:11apple.
34:12It has a real
34:12specific marking
34:14and also our
34:14beautiful peaches
34:15as well.
34:16So, you can see
34:16the designs
34:17we've come up with
34:19and I think the
34:19designer has really
34:20got it on key.
34:22All this product
34:23is made locally.
34:24It's all British
34:25and I think this
34:26will give a good
34:27edge to the competition
34:28of what we're doing.
34:30And to stay ahead,
34:31Judy is already
34:32prepping the shop
34:33for the arrival
34:34of the new
34:34merchandise.
34:36So, it's all
34:36about our new
34:37launch.
34:38The customer's
34:39reaction is going
34:39to be absolutely
34:40fantastic.
34:41So, I'm really
34:41excited for when
34:42it comes in.
34:45As exciting
34:46as it may be,
34:47the launch is
34:48scheduled for a
34:49week's time
34:49and there's still
34:50a lot of work
34:51to be done.
34:52We want it in
34:53ready for our
34:54flower show.
34:54So, we're all
34:55getting a little bit
34:55anxious and a bit
34:56nervous at the
34:57moment.
34:57I've never missed
34:58the deadline.
34:59It can be to the
35:0012th hour.
35:01We could be here
35:02late at night
35:02getting it all
35:03ready.
35:04It puts pressure
35:04on the warehouse
35:05team as well
35:06because the stock
35:06comes in.
35:07They've got to
35:07unpack it,
35:08get it all
35:08labelled,
35:09get it all
35:09prized.
35:10They've got to
35:10bring it down
35:11here.
35:11So, it can be
35:12mega, mega
35:13tight.
35:13Fingers crossed,
35:14we will be okay.
35:15We will be there.
35:20Coming up,
35:21the wall walkers
35:22are let loose
35:22on the palace
35:23stone.
35:24They very much
35:25hope they don't
35:26take too much
35:26off.
35:26and there's a
35:28blooming long
35:29queue for the
35:30flower show.
35:31So, the queue
35:31is doing a snake
35:33around the car
35:33park.
35:45Blenheim Palace,
35:47ancestral seat of
35:48the Duke of
35:49Marlborough, is the
35:49only non-royal palace
35:51in England.
35:51A favoured stop
35:53for tourists,
35:54visitors to the
35:55palace also love
35:56a trip to the
35:56gift shop.
35:57And today,
35:58head of retail
35:58Judy is on her
36:00way to the
36:00warehouse at
36:01Park Farm to
36:02take delivery of
36:03the new estate
36:03garden range of
36:04products she's been
36:05eagerly awaiting.
36:06So, today,
36:07very excited.
36:08We've had no
36:09sneaky views,
36:10so this is going
36:11to be the first
36:11time when I open
36:12these boxes to
36:13see our beautiful,
36:14exciting range.
36:16And the good
36:16news is it's all
36:17arrived ready for
36:19our flower show.
36:21Let's have a
36:25look.
36:29Ooh, wow.
36:31These are our
36:32pot holders, which
36:34look absolutely
36:35amazing.
36:36Really excited.
36:37Right.
36:38It's like Christmas
36:39already, isn't it?
36:40So, these are our
36:42beautiful little
36:42coasters.
36:43So, this is all
36:44grown in the
36:45walled garden, which
36:46looks absolutely
36:47beautiful.
36:47So, really relevant
36:48with Blenheim Palace.
36:50These look
36:54incredible.
36:57So, it's been so
36:59exciting seeing all
37:00this today.
37:00We will get these
37:01checked off the
37:02delivery.
37:03We will get them
37:03taken down to the
37:05shop floor, and
37:06then we will
37:06merchandise this all
37:07out.
37:08Customers are going
37:09to absolutely love
37:10this, and I think
37:11the staff are going
37:12to love it as well.
37:13And back in the
37:19shop, they've worked
37:20looming hard to be
37:22ready as the flower
37:23show is about to
37:23commence.
37:29As visitors have
37:30gathered en masse for
37:32this crowd-pleasing
37:32day.
37:33It is one of the
37:36most popular.
37:37I mean, we've had
37:37people queuing
37:38since 9 o'clock, and
37:39we don't actually
37:40open till 10, so the
37:41queue is doing a
37:42snake around the
37:43car park.
37:44And no flower
37:45show is complete
37:46without its fedora
37:47donning compere.
37:49Good morning, ladies
37:50and gentlemen.
37:51Welcome to the
37:51Blenheim Palace
37:52Flower Shows.
37:53Have a brilliant
37:53time.
37:54The sun is shining.
37:55Take lots of water.
37:56Make sure you put
37:57your sun panel
37:57on.
37:58Let's come on
37:58through and enjoy
37:59the show.
38:00Thank you very much.
38:00The flower show
38:03has been running
38:03at Blenheim since
38:042013, and 25
38:06coachloads of
38:07guests are expected
38:09each day.
38:10Easily today, I
38:11can see us getting
38:1210,000 people
38:13through the gates,
38:13which will be an
38:14unbelievable number
38:15coming through.
38:16With 160
38:17stallholders selling
38:19all manner of
38:19garden items, it's
38:21one of Blenheim's
38:21most popular events.
38:24It's one of the
38:25biggest events we
38:25do here, particularly
38:26when the weather's
38:27lovely like this.
38:28Everybody's happy,
38:30and they all come
38:30out and enjoy
38:31themselves, and
38:32obviously spend
38:32lots of money,
38:32which is good.
38:35Somebody who is
38:37enjoying himself is
38:38Dom, plant
38:39enthusiast and CEO
38:41of Blenheim Palace.
38:43Aren't they
38:43supple and
38:43it's beautiful.
38:46So, this is
38:47magical.
38:47These are the
38:49mother plants.
38:50You can see what
38:50they grow in soon.
38:52But they sell
38:53off the babies.
38:54things.
38:59That's very
39:00gangster.
39:01I could back
39:02to that.
39:03And for show
39:04organiser Matt,
39:05things couldn't be
39:06better.
39:06This is what it's
39:07all about for us.
39:08And a flower show
39:28marches on its stomach.
39:30Food is a very big
39:32part of any of these
39:33shows.
39:34Almost all of these
39:35food suppliers are
39:36very local indeed.
39:38But where there's
39:39food, there tends to
39:40be litter, and
39:41Don's noticed a slight
39:42blot on the
39:42landscape.
39:43Everyone takes pride
39:58in looking after
39:58Blenheim, and the
39:59boss leads by
40:01example.
40:08The flower show is
40:09positively buzzing,
40:11and Julian is on
40:12hand to assist both
40:13visitor and vendor.
40:15All going well?
40:16Is this thing
40:16yesterday?
40:17Brilliant, sir.
40:17Nice sunny day.
40:18To me, Robbins.
40:19Ciao.
40:19See you later.
40:22And even he finds
40:23it hard to resist
40:24the allure of the
40:25various items on
40:26offer.
40:27One year I bought
40:28a giraffe which
40:29holds CDs, which
40:31is still somewhere
40:32in the house.
40:33It's standing
40:34sort of like
40:34four foot high.
40:39It's a bit
40:39strange.
40:42I'm tempted by one
40:44of these.
40:45I can see myself
40:45walking around
40:46Blenheim with my
40:47stick.
40:48I don't know,
40:49just like, all of
40:49them look quite nice,
40:50but I think
40:50particularly the lion
40:51here.
40:52I'm very tempted.
40:52I can see myself as a
40:53lion of Blenheim, so I
40:54think, you know, this
40:55one is mine.
40:56And as the lion of
40:57Blenheim prowls the
40:58flower show, it's
41:00another successful
41:01event for the team.
41:02Back at the palace, the
41:11built heritage team are
41:12continuing their survey
41:13of the roof.
41:15A specialist team of
41:16abseilers are headed up
41:17to check the stonework
41:18of the building for any
41:19loose rocks and debris
41:20that could cause a
41:21potential danger to the
41:22public.
41:23It's not just the
41:24roof projects, it's
41:25also stone repairs and
41:26everything else at high
41:26level.
41:27We're calling it above
41:27and beyond because we're
41:28going above and beyond
41:29to protect our legacy.
41:30So all we're doing is
41:31the wall walkers will
41:32come down in a minute,
41:33come over the top, and
41:35they'll start touching
41:36and feeling all of the
41:37stone, just in case any
41:39of its loose.
41:41Are they okay up there?
41:42Fine.
41:43Yeah, I'm comfortable.
41:44Are they ready?
41:45They are.
41:46There he comes.
41:48I personally can't do
41:49anything worse.
41:51Chris and his team of
41:52wall walkers are
41:53experienced rope access
41:55conservators who have
41:56been monitoring Blenheim's
41:57facade for 20 years.
41:59How old is Chris?
42:0072.
42:0172.
42:02And people doing
42:03this?
42:03Yeah.
42:04He knows the building
42:04so well.
42:06The team comes three
42:07to four times a year to
42:08ensure the safety of the
42:09public, but today their
42:11findings, alongside the
42:12roof surveys, will give
42:13Kelly enough information
42:14to take the restoration
42:15to its next stage.
42:17We have a 10-year goal
42:18to undertake 40 million
42:20pounds worth of
42:21conservation and
42:22restoration.
42:23The trouble we have is
42:25we haven't got 40
42:25million pounds because
42:27we're a charity.
42:28We rely heavily on our
42:30visitor business and our
42:31wonderful guests who come
42:32here.
42:35But even with regular
42:36monitoring, Kelly is well
42:38aware that old buildings
42:39are full of surprises.
42:41My biggest worry here is
42:42we'll find something that we
42:43weren't expected to find.
42:44We don't like removing
42:47stone.
42:48We would only do it over
42:49entrances and exits or
42:50where members of the
42:52public loiter.
42:53What concerns me is that
42:54on occasions like this,
42:56because you get hands-on,
42:58you'll see that the building
42:59is deteriorating at a
43:00faster rate than we're
43:01anticipating.
43:02These things just come off
43:04so easily.
43:04I very much hope they don't
43:07take too much off.
43:11They are finding some...
43:12Yeah, they are finding some
43:13crumble.
43:16Though Blenheim is able to
43:18restore the palace and win
43:19the fight against the
43:20centuries-old deterioration,
43:22it will require the palace
43:23being supported by scaffolding
43:25for over a year.
43:27But as usual, Blenheim are
43:28making lemonade out of lemons.
43:31The experience of Blenheim
43:31will be different.
43:34Our hope is we're looking
43:35at opening up a roof tour,
43:36which will be really,
43:37really amazing, so we can
43:38get people right up there,
43:39you can see the action,
43:40you can see the corner of
43:41victory in the lake from a
43:42really high level, you can
43:43get up close to personal.
43:45We've been working on this
43:46project for probably the best
43:47part of a decade, really.
43:49It's about £12.5 million
43:50at the moment.
43:51It's the biggest project that
43:52Blenheim has ever undertaken,
43:53and it's because of things
43:55like this.
43:56The palace is over 300 years
43:57old, and the roofs are in
43:58really bad condition.
44:00The reason we open nearly
44:0275 years ago next year was
44:04originally to open it in
44:05order to repair the roofs.
44:06That's why we opened.
44:08And to see that 75 years
44:09later, and inviting our
44:10visitors back in, inviting
44:11our visitors back in to see
44:12that we finally afforded to
44:14pay for it after all of this
44:15time, is really, really
44:17beautiful.
44:19And for Amy, her
44:21apprenticeship couldn't have
44:22come at a better time.
44:23She will be graduating just
44:25as the project moves into
44:26full swing.
44:27I couldn't think of a
44:28better workplace.
44:28I just enjoy every aspect of
44:31it.
44:32Working in a heritage context
44:33like Blenheim, there really
44:34is no place like it.
44:36It's quite remarkable how we
44:38protect our legacy, protect
44:39Blenheim for future generations.
44:41And as they prepare for their
44:44biggest challenge yet, Blenheim is
44:46looking forward to welcoming
44:47guests and sharing the palace and
44:49estate for the next 300 years
44:52and beyond.
44:53And beyond.
44:53¶¶
45:23¶¶
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