- 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.
00:27For the staff behind the grandeur.
00:29I've got to protect the palace.
00:30As they conserve.
00:32Oh, aren't they beautiful?
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, history comes to life with the palace guides.
00:51You've got to make sure that you hate straight at all times.
00:54Blenheim's property manager has a fight on his hands.
00:56It's the whole childhood make-believe.
00:59And the palace tapestries are getting a makeover.
01:03It's a really quick-release mechanism.
01:07It's spring in Oxfordshire, and nestled in the countryside sits Blenheim Palace.
01:12Guests come from all over the world to experience the stunning historic house, art collections, exhibitions, and beautiful grounds.
01:22Today, Blenheim Palace is hosting the much-loved annual jousting event, with 16,500 guests due to arrive over the weekend.
01:31But it's not a great start, as it's been raining all night, though this won't stop the events team from setting up for the big day ahead.
01:39We've got Balconry going in, we've got Birds of Prey shows, and then we've got our archery, we've also got our jesters that are going to be setting up as well.
01:48So this is sort of like the skeleton to give us an outline of where things are going to go.
01:53Knowing where you're going to put stuff, we talk about that quite a lot.
01:56I'll do my arena, set that as the main park, and we'll build around it, so that we'll have, we want no caterings over there, we know toilets have to go to the right-hand side.
02:05Has to be done. It's taking a bit longer than it normally would, unfortunately.
02:09The rain never helps.
02:11Blenheim's land used to be the site of a royal lodge, Woodstock Manor, a popular spot for hunting and jousting, from the 13th to the 16th centuries.
02:21But health and safety has moved on since the Middle Ages.
02:24We have to put a buffer zone around the arena, because people like to put their legs under the rope itself, so if we have another unit here, it stops them going to the main one.
02:36The buffer zone is important to protect the crowds, because for this event, Blenheim have called in the cavalry.
02:44The Knights of Middle England.
02:51Who are arriving on Lorry Bank.
02:54We're a show team, so we like to perform and entertain the crowd, so you're going to see things like lances smash and splinter up into a thousand pieces.
03:09The Knights, they're all dressed in the armour and all of the gear, and the idea is that we perform and present a show, but at the same time trying to be realistic and bring a bit of history into it.
03:19The team don't have much time, so it's all hands on deck to get the arena built, and horses prepared before the crowds arrive.
03:30The horses are over there getting ready.
03:33We've got the ground crew setting up all of the arena, making it look like a medieval tournament.
03:37Still fit it there, that's perfect.
03:38Yeah, diagonal, yeah, perfect.
03:40And they're experts in their craft.
03:42This is called a tilt rail, that's where the expression full tilt comes from.
03:45So if the Knights ran full tilt, it means they were going fast in the whole length.
03:51What's really exciting about doing events, especially somewhere at Glenham, is that you've got that backdrop, which is truly amazing.
03:58This is a good tent.
04:00Oh, good catch.
04:02It's an honour to be here to joust, really.
04:05To say that you're jousting in front of such history, I mean, it's just...
04:09The team have their work cut out for them, as the guests are due to arrive within the hour.
04:15Meanwhile, inside the palace, they're also focused on bringing history to life in a unique way.
04:21And today, Sylvain, a palace guide for over a decade, is becoming an early 18th century gentleman.
04:27This, actually, is a belt.
04:30This is a golden one, so it will indicate that we are talking about somebody higher up in the armed forces, probably a general.
04:38And every detail matters.
04:40Here we are.
04:40And lastly, but not least, my hair, of course.
04:44An important flourish, because 18th century upper-class gentlemen enjoyed wearing wigs.
04:49After Louis XIV started a trend by wearing one because of his premature balding.
04:54So I'm ready.
04:54I feel very important.
04:55I have to wear my hand on my waist to show how old and I am, and then some space to go past, of course.
05:03And my bum is not too big in this, is it?
05:04No, your bum looks great in that, Sylvain.
05:06OK.
05:08Now, you understand why there are so many mirrors in the palace?
05:12It's because you've got to make sure that your hair is straight at all times.
05:18With so much history to share, Sylvain is one of many guides who dons a historical outfit.
05:24But dressing up is serious business.
05:28I feel very much that I'm not dressed up.
05:30I'm the real thing.
05:31I think it's important to be in character.
05:34When you look at the beautiful furniture, all the artefacts around, you might feel, gosh, this is too short off.
05:42Actually, what you would like to do, if you had the means, is promote the best artists and the best manufacturers.
05:48Apart from his usual duties as a tour guide, today, Sylvain has been entrusted with a very special task.
05:57He will be responsible for opening the front door.
06:01It is my privilege to do so from time to time.
06:04It's always very exciting.
06:06Look at the size of this door.
06:08It's actually made of oak from the park.
06:10Most interesting as well, we've got a fantastic lock on that door.
06:13That was installed in the 1840s at the 6th Yukon Marlborough.
06:16I'm going to use the coronet key to open the door.
06:22It is a pound and a half, very solid, and it's a key we use every day, so it's got a life of its own.
06:32So you need to help the mechanism by lifting this lever.
06:37A knife's done.
06:46And in a ceremony that's been repeated for over 300 years...
06:50Et voila!
06:52The door is open.
06:54Soon, the Great Hall resounds with hundreds of footsteps,
06:57and the corridors of the palace brim with visitors engaged in Sylvain's tour.
07:02Observing it all from above is Eleanor, guest services manager and colleague Nicole.
07:07I like it, because it's like you get to see all of the guests coming in,
07:11but you're a bit removed, it's like you're an observer.
07:13It's nice, it's like being a bit incognito.
07:16Yeah.
07:16I'm in disguise.
07:17But as more and more guests flock to the palace,
07:20Eleanor is concerned Sylvain might need some backup.
07:23We're just going to see if we can get a couple more guides to come up,
07:26put their costumes on, and then they'll be in the palace
07:28and wandering around the courtyards.
07:30Part 10 to part 28, have we got any guides available
07:32who can come up to get changed into character?
07:38Though with the palace extremely busy,
07:40it might be difficult to find the guides available.
07:44Obviously, there's lots of people on site for the event,
07:46but it's still business as usual in the palace,
07:49and we just want people to have the best day possible.
07:52And it's modern history for Blenheim,
07:54as the costume guides were only introduced a couple of years ago.
07:57The idea actually came from the guiding team themselves.
08:00There was a group of guides that were quite keen on playing costume characters,
08:03which were key from Blenheim's history.
08:05It kind of developed over time,
08:06because I think originally we thought it would be a case of them standing in the room
08:10and just reading out a script of, like, set information.
08:13But really now it works more where they just go out
08:16and they have very kind of natural interactions with our guests,
08:20but in the character that they're playing.
08:22Yeah, it's just been fantastic to see,
08:23because it's just really taken off.
08:25It's really popular, and people love it as a photo opportunity,
08:28and it's just, yeah, a lovely way to interact with the guests.
08:31But today the guides seem to be ancient history.
08:35Part 10 to Park Kath.
08:41Go ahead.
08:43Are you free to come and get changed into your costume to be in the palace?
08:48Yeah, copy that, I'm on my way.
08:51With guides playing the ninth duchess, Gladys...
08:54Ni hao, good afternoon.
08:56..whose face is carved into the sphinxes on the water terrace.
08:59Are they attractive? Are they not? Not sure.
09:02..and French landscaper Achilles Duchesne...
09:06Ah, Gnedica Frauen, good afternoon.
09:08..who was instructed by Gladys' husband, the ninth duke,
09:11to work on the formal gardens in the 1920s in a bid to rival Versailles.
09:16I was asked whether I could design a connection
09:22between the Baroque Palace and Browns Lake.
09:26This is probably one of my four best gardens throughout my career.
09:30It's fair to say the living history re-enactments are going down a treat.
09:35Pleasure to meet you.
09:36Thank you, thank you.
09:38Every day the palace welcomes coachloads of tourists and annual pass holders.
09:43But today, having sorted the guiding situation out,
09:47Eleanor is heading with colleagues SJ and Nicole
09:50on a mission to recce something more bespoke.
09:54Shall we go down to the Cascades first?
09:56Yeah, we'll go and look at the safari tent first.
09:59They are on a picturesque drive to the Cascade waterfalls
10:02to decide upon possible locations.
10:04At the moment, a lot of people come in, they see the palace,
10:07they can go out of gardens.
10:08Now we want to open that out into much more of an immersive experience.
10:12where they can come in and get a little bit more understanding of Lennon.
10:17Also working with people to understand our conservation programmes.
10:20And then also doing extra things like gin tasting
10:23and crafting and flower pressing.
10:25So it's exciting today to be able to go and see
10:27where we can actually position everything.
10:29So we're coming up to the Cascade.
10:30There's a safari tent just behind the Cascade.
10:33So I just want to show SJ the location.
10:34But just as they pull up to have a look...
10:38..the wheels may have come off their plan, quite literally.
10:43There goes the tyre!
10:47So, oh, no, we haven't got the truck.
10:53We're on a red buggy in the gardens and the tyres just burst.
10:56But we can't tow it because the truck's gone for a service.
11:01Guest services supervisor, Nicole, is thinking outside the box.
11:05I can go and get a spare tyre.
11:07And Monty could fix it if we don't have anyone to tow.
11:14OK, let's do that.
11:16Fellow supervisor Monty to the rescue.
11:18Is there a spare tyre at the back of the bed?
11:20Can you go and get one and the jack,
11:22and then we'll just change it here?
11:23That might be easier.
11:31Coming up, guest services supervisor Monty saves the day.
11:35Who are you trying to call?
11:36I'm trying to look up a video of how to put it down.
11:40And property manager Ken gives up the day job.
11:44It's the whole childhood make-believe.
11:53The rock jewel, Blenheim Palace,
12:01boasts a landscape shaped over the centuries.
12:04In the 1760s, the fourth duke commissioned Capability Brown,
12:08who, over a period of 11 years,
12:11created one of the masterpieces of English landscaping.
12:14Today, guest services manager Eleanor
12:21is stranded with colleague SJ
12:24by the Cascades at the western corner of the lake.
12:27But while they wait for Monty to return with a spare tyre,
12:30they can crack on with finding their possible tour locations.
12:33There's never a dull moment, is there?
12:35No, never here.
12:36That's true.
12:36What we're looking at doing is putting packages together
12:40that's somewhere in between one of our bespoke packages,
12:43which would be for, like, one or two, three people,
12:46and our group visits,
12:48which where you could have up to 30, 50 people in a group.
12:50These would be more tailor-made to the estate.
12:54Things like photography packages.
12:56We're looking at gin tastings.
12:58Foraging sessions.
12:59Foraging, some ancient crafting.
13:02So just lots of really lovely additional extras
13:05that I think people can get much more
13:07of an immersive, emotional connection to Blenheim.
13:10And while they're still stranded,
13:12it's a good opportunity to have a wander.
13:15Oh, you can see it there?
13:16OK.
13:17I like the idea of the gin tasting in there.
13:19So I'm just thinking it's kind of all weather conditions.
13:22People can cross the bridge on to get to the top
13:24and then just go into the tent.
13:26And then we have something there, but it's quite bespoke.
13:28Maybe over in the Cascade.
13:30Yeah, it's nice.
13:31So we will buggy people down here?
13:33I think so.
13:34Fully intact.
13:35We will buggy people down there, maybe on the white buggies.
13:39This scenic backdrop was engineered by renowned landscaper
13:42Lancelot Capability Brown.
13:45The altered course of the River Gleim
13:47created the Cascades, a beautiful waterfall,
13:50making it the perfect spot for one of SJ's bespoke packages.
13:55Back at the buggy,
13:56Monty's arriving just in time with a spare tyre.
13:59And it's lucky he's a master of all trades.
14:03Who are you trying to call?
14:04I'm trying to look up a video of how to put it down.
14:06Oh!
14:09Or maybe not.
14:11Cars are fine.
14:12Those are slightly different.
14:16Malcolm, I'll put it up to test it.
14:17I can't get it back down.
14:19How many members of the Blenheim team does it take to change a tyre buggy?
14:22It would seem the answer is more than they currently have.
14:29If me and Nicole came and collected you and brought you to the Cascades,
14:33do you think you could help us change a buggy tyre?
14:34Oh, there you go.
14:36Oh, no, it's all right, we've done it, we've done it, we've done it, don't worry.
14:39Success.
14:40The instruction video has paid off.
14:44You invite me to really nice things,
14:46like you invite me to trips out and to dinners and awards ceremonies,
14:49and I invite you to breakdance.
14:51But for Monty, it's just another day at the office.
14:55You always get potholes and things happen overnight and so on,
14:58a bit of erosion and things,
14:58so just one of those things you have to deal with
15:01to keep the buggies flowing, otherwise it all sort of stops.
15:07Yeah.
15:08Yeah.
15:09Monty!
15:11It's like nothing is happening.
15:13Yeah.
15:13It really is.
15:15Monty, thank you very much.
15:16You've saved the day, as usual.
15:18And just like the Knights of Middle England,
15:21with Monty as their knight in shining armour,
15:23this time minus the armour,
15:25the group head back so SJ can create her tour.
15:28I'm very sorry that you've had such an adventure.
15:31It's been great.
15:33You know what it's like in ops.
15:35Everything always goes perfectly to plan.
15:38Oh, dear.
15:41Back at the palace,
15:43textile conservator Emma has come in to do some tapestry work.
15:46There are 11 tapestries on view to the public
15:49and having already survived two fires at Blenheim,
15:52limiting any threat is a big priority.
15:55But before she begins the conservation work,
15:57keeper of palace, Kate, has a little extra job for her,
16:01saving the blushes of a mannequin in the temporary exhibition
16:03whose trousers are falling down.
16:05It's a bit of an add-on, isn't it, really?
16:08Yes.
16:08It's sort of emergency repairs.
16:10It's always quite nice to get up close
16:12and, you know, examine the pieces
16:15and otherwise just see from a distance, so, yeah.
16:18Emma and I have worked together for, I think, over 14 years now
16:22and she's been working on our collection of tapestries
16:27and also a number of textiles
16:30that are part of pieces of furniture.
16:33So I trust her implicitly
16:35because I have a long working relationship with her
16:39and her work is amazing.
16:40So I'm just going to do her up now.
16:44Here we are.
16:46All done.
16:48Lovely, thank you.
16:49Invisible.
16:50And now she won't lose her trousers.
16:51No, she's not going to have them round her ankles
16:53when you come in in the morning.
16:58Emma's focus can now turn to the palace's own collection
17:01of beautiful tapestries.
17:03Traditionally, they are fixed to the wall with metal rods,
17:06meaning rescue in times of emergency can be difficult.
17:09So a new salvage system has been devised
17:12and sometimes the simplest answer is the best.
17:18We're going to put some protection down on the floor
17:20and then we're going to unroll the tapestry
17:23and then Emma's going to sew some Velcro onto the sides of it.
17:30It's a big job, but it could prove invaluable.
17:35If there is any kind of emergency,
17:37whether it's a flood or fire or anything like that,
17:41it's very quick to get off the wall.
17:45I'm quite familiar with the collection
17:46and it's great to be entrusted with their care, really.
17:52Well, we will leave you to it.
17:53Thanks, Kate.
17:56Because they're not strictly flat textiles,
18:00they've got lots of undulations in them, tapestries,
18:04you know, from the way they've hung in the past
18:05and the way they've been woven,
18:07just all sorts of stresses and strains in them.
18:10They don't always hang in the way that you want them to.
18:14So this one just had a tiny bit of excess in the lower third,
18:20which just needs to be stretched out
18:22and that's why the Velcro will then attach it on battens to the wall.
18:27So I'm just going to pin it into position before I start work.
18:33But this modern device has downsides too.
18:38It's a really quick-release mechanism,
18:40so it makes them a lot easier to steal
18:42and know of other places where that's happened
18:45and they can be rolled up into quite a small diameter
18:47and then just posted out of a window, yeah.
18:51But that's never happened here.
18:54Once the tapestries are back on the wall,
18:57nobody would suspect they've had a modern makeover
18:59and the collections team can sleep easier at night.
19:02Meanwhile, outside,
19:07the walled gardens have been turned into a medieval village
19:10as part of the jousting event
19:11and the living re-enactments...
19:13I've always been a history buff.
19:15...are a hit with the guests.
19:18Here we go, that's why.
19:20It's like an actual dragon.
19:23Yeah.
19:25Close that up.
19:27Float.
19:29No.
19:29Oh, we may have a young dragon.
19:35Today, these medieval men have been joined by one of Blenheim's own,
19:39Ken, who is an expert on the knights of old.
19:43The most protective piece of equipment that a knight has.
19:46Yes, they have all their armour.
19:47They have something far more protective than that.
19:49Can anyone have a guess?
19:50It's your banner.
19:51So the reason for that is because if you were a noble,
19:55you were worth money.
19:57So rather than kill you,
19:59it would be much better for an opposing noble to recognise,
20:02hey, that's Sir Mormont over there.
20:04I know he's just come into a big inheritance.
20:06They would try and capture me and ransom me back to my family.
20:10It was a very lucrative business.
20:11When Ken isn't wielding swords and swerving kidnappings,
20:16his day job is to manage maintenance at Blenheim's housing.
20:21Across the estate, we've got over 300 properties,
20:25and they range from very old cottages and farmhouses to lovely new builds.
20:30It's his responsibility to make sure these houses are developed
20:33and maintained to the highest standards.
20:35We take pride in being a really good provider of housing.
20:39Well, that's what we aim to achieve.
20:42But today, his job is to don a full set of armour
20:45and charge head-on into combat.
20:49Please give the round of the cheers
20:50and share the appreciation for Sir Geoffrey Mormont!
20:58I have to overcome a lot of challenges in my day job,
21:01but it's a lot of fun to do, which is the same here.
21:03This is overcoming a very different challenge,
21:05but it's still very, very fun.
21:09It's the whole childhood make-believe.
21:11I always wanted to be a knight,
21:13and this is me getting a dress up and live out that fantasy
21:15and escape the mundane day-to-day as well.
21:20Foe vanquished and the sun coming out.
21:23The fun across the event continues for all ages.
21:26And there he goes, Sir Harry, heading down the Tildyard Rail,
21:29and he comes up to the Quintown.
21:30It's a beautiful strike!
21:31Oh, well done, Sir Harry!
21:33Strong, loose.
21:39And all the departments are busy, from catering...
21:42Goodbye, Sir, I've really enjoyed this.
21:44...to the retail team.
21:46So I've already done three runs back to the palace to get more meads.
21:50I've got more apple for you.
21:52Apple, brilliant. Thank you, Hayley.
21:55It's nearly time for the main jousting event,
21:59and this year, it's extra special for Georgie,
22:02one of the few female knights in the UK
22:04who will be performing as a main character.
22:07I did a show for Carl as a trick rider
22:09because I'm a professional trick rider.
22:11He said to me,
22:12it would be cool if you could play the leading role,
22:15Margaret of Renjou.
22:17And for that role, I needed to joust,
22:18so he spent some time training me,
22:20and then this year, it's the first time I'm at Blenheim
22:23also jousting with the boys.
22:25In the Middle Ages,
22:27jousting was a sport between two wealthy knights
22:29competing for honour and money,
22:31as they used their 8- to 10-foot lances made of hollow wood
22:35and with a multi-spiked spear
22:37to knock their opponent off their force
22:39or land the best hit.
22:41Today's reenactment is a much friendlier affair,
22:44and no-one gets hurt.
22:45And with the knights mounted and ready to go,
22:47it's time for the jousting to begin.
22:51My lords, my ladies, boys and girls,
22:55welcome into the arena
22:58the four-gallon knights of Middle England!
23:01And it's time for Georgia,
23:06first-time jouster here at Blenheim,
23:08to make her debut.
23:10Ladies and gentlemen,
23:11this purple knight is not a knight,
23:14she's a knightess!
23:16A fearless lady!
23:18Put your hands together!
23:20Four, that test!
23:21Four, that test!
23:22Four, that test!
23:27Here we go!
23:28All right, here we go!
23:32Ah!
23:33Yes!
23:34Yes, yes!
23:36Yes, yes!
23:36Thanks!
23:38Georgie has won her first-ever jousting event.
23:41You OK, Countess?
23:42I absolutely loved it.
23:44But her greatest victory
23:45is inspiring the next generation of knightesses.
23:48Nice, awesome!
23:50Go, go, go!
23:51And there we go!
23:53Oh, good enough, good enough!
23:54Keep going, just keep going,
23:55you're doing fantastically well!
23:57With the weather being unexpectedly glorious,
24:00Managing Director Heather
24:01is keeping a close eye on the crowd numbers
24:03using an app developed by Blenheim's innovation team
24:07as the extra guests have caught them off guard.
24:10We've had just short of 7,000 people here today
24:13and we were expecting four and a half.
24:15We're slightly overwhelmed, to be honest.
24:17See the queues!
24:19And with the hot weather,
24:20one catering truck is proving very popular.
24:23Oh, look at that beast!
24:27The catering team expected to sell 1,200 ice creams today,
24:30but with the extra 2,500 guests and high temperatures,
24:34they need at least twice the amount to keep up with demand.
24:37But thankfully, Jack, head of catering,
24:39has arrived to save the day.
24:41Right, Tiff, what are we running out of?
24:42What do I need to get?
24:43I think we have some more strawberry beans.
24:46More strawberry, yeah.
24:47Um, and chocolate, in terms of that.
24:50Solid caramel.
24:52Right, strawberry chocolate, solid caramel.
24:53Cone's all right for?
24:54Yeah.
24:55OK, right, cool, let's go.
24:58We've put an ice cream unit down here today
25:00and, um, only put one down
25:01and it's probably the first Sunday of the year
25:03so we actually need more.
25:04We're going to bring another one down tomorrow
25:06but for the time being,
25:07I've got to run back to the palace and get more ice cream.
25:09Jack needs to move fast
25:11or it might not only be Ken the Knight who's duelling.
25:17Coming up, Jack is left out in the cold.
25:21True, what else did they say?
25:23God, I think Tommy's met yet.
25:25And keeper of palace Kate
25:26receives a special delivery
25:28for the Churchill birth room.
25:30Oh, aren't they beautiful?
25:43Blenheim Palace was once the site of another royal lodge,
25:46Woodstock Manor,
25:47built in the early 1100s by Henry I
25:50and eventually destroyed by First Duchess Sarah.
25:53The estate was a favourite for hunting and jousting events
25:56with successive Tudor kings
25:57and today Blenheim is recreating the experience
26:01for some 7,000 visitors.
26:06However, with the ice cream supplies dwindling,
26:09head caterer Jack is on a mission against the clock.
26:12That queue's been like that for the last two hours,
26:15but the girls are doing a great job.
26:18I think I'm going to get it from the pizza cafe if it's there.
26:24Jonah, have you got scoop ice cream in your...
26:26Salted caramel.
26:29It's always going to be the ones on the bottom, isn't it?
26:37Jack seems to have brain freeze.
26:39Mint chocolate chip, vanilla, chocolate salt,
26:41salt caramel, chocolate salt,
26:43cut out of the strawberry.
26:44With the lines just getting longer,
26:46this is not the time for second guessing
26:48and there'll be chaos if he's wrong.
26:53There you go.
26:54He'd say strawberry chocolate and salt caramel, didn't he?
26:56Yeah.
26:56Phew.
26:59With the crisis averted and Jack's memory intact,
27:02the guests can enjoy their ice creams
27:04and the finale of the jousting show.
27:15I would like to thank you, ladies and gentlemen,
27:20for being such an amazing audience.
27:22Now, could you please show your appreciation?
27:24Thank you for coming to watch and supporting everybody.
27:36I hope you enjoyed that.
27:37Her full name is Aphrodite.
27:39Oh, I'm pretty good.
27:39But we call her Thea.
27:40Thea for short.
27:41Thea for Asian.
27:42She's a Asian.
27:43Yeah.
27:43I just love her.
27:44I was one for her.
27:45She's gorgeous.
27:46I don't mind.
27:46I'll have you two.
27:46Oh, bless you.
27:48I'll come.
27:49No problem.
27:49I'll be there.
27:50With the main event and photo call done,
27:53the team can pat themselves on the back
27:55for another successful day.
27:57I honestly love hearing everybody just getting so excited
28:00about the jousting.
28:01And they were like it this morning.
28:03The full arena.
28:04Definitely.
28:04I mean, it just could not have gone better today.
28:07And people have said that they come back every year.
28:10So it's definitely one people just keep in their calendar.
28:13Well done.
28:13Honestly, really, really good job.
28:15When jousting was a regular sport at Blenheim,
28:18the Tudor Knights would gather at Woodstock Manor.
28:20And today, head of built heritage Kelly and apprentice Amy
28:24are at its original site.
28:26So what you can see over here, Amy, is Queen Elizabeth Island,
28:28which is the last that you can see of what was the causeway.
28:31Right, OK.
28:32So originally it was Woodstock Manor,
28:33which was the house that was here first.
28:34The original house.
28:35The original house.
28:35Right.
28:36Which was a hunting lodge,
28:37and then it became effectively a royal palace,
28:39which is another reason why Blenheim was constructed where it was.
28:42Before Capability Brown's landscaping project in the 1760s,
28:47the estate and bridge looked very different.
28:49The bridge itself was incredibly tall.
28:52It's about five storeys.
28:53It has many rooms within it.
28:55The canal looked very small and almost out of character
28:59with this huge big ground bridge,
29:00which was actually said to have a whole other layer on it.
29:04When Capability Brown came along
29:06and changed this from a very structured, rigid landscape of order and form,
29:12to something far more naturalistic,
29:14he flooded the lake and actually brought the water level up
29:18to make the bridge look iconic.
29:19He knew exactly the level that he wanted
29:21and at the same time then flooded all these roofs.
29:23Right, OK.
29:24Kelly is bringing Amy up to speed
29:26as the first stage of the restoration project was completed in 2023.
29:30The apprenticeship I'm doing is in project management,
29:33but within the context of Blenheim.
29:36It's quite cool to know actually that you can start from the beginning
29:39and learn everything that you need to know
29:41and apply it into a practical context.
29:44Every day is just as exciting as the next
29:45and I think the opportunity to learn from someone like Kelly
29:48who has years of experience behind her,
29:51there really is no place like it.
29:52The first stage gave a rare opportunity
29:55to survey some of the previously submerged rooms inside the bridge.
29:59And while there's no evidence it was ever lived in,
30:01it's since gained some new residents.
30:03The bridge is absolutely full of these protected bats.
30:06Oh, yeah.
30:06I was reading about them and they're quite rare.
30:08They are really rare.
30:09So we can't really do anything with the bridge,
30:11especially if it's going to impact them.
30:14And anything we do do,
30:15we have to work very, very closely with our ecologists.
30:17And will they remain there forever or...?
30:20As far as...
30:20As long as we can create and protect their habitat,
30:23then yes, that'll be a bat haven forevermore.
30:27But uncovering this hidden treasure wasn't a simple job.
30:31So the lake was dredged last year.
30:33It was about 300 mil deep
30:35and it needs to be about 3 metres deep.
30:37Oh, gosh.
30:38The last time we dredged it was over 100 years ago,
30:40which is why it's built up so much
30:43to the point that we have a SSSI here,
30:45which is a site of special scientific interest,
30:47we were at risk of losing it
30:49because the habitat was no longer suitable.
30:52We had three excavators on pontoons sort of floating around.
30:56It was very clever, very high-tech, GPS,
30:58excavated out all the silt and then took it away.
31:02Hopefully Amy can use the lessons learned
31:04after her apprenticeship ends.
31:10But the water at Blenheim isn't all about beauty
31:13and flowing under the estate is an ancient aquifer,
31:17which feeds the on-site mineral water plant
31:19that produces 4 million bottles of Blenheim estate water a year.
31:23And in charge of ensuring operations run smoothly is Trevor.
31:28So the borehole is in here
31:30and it's at a depth of 38 metres.
31:33That's the same height as the Column of Victory.
31:35So the water comes from 15 miles,
31:38comes from as far as Chippin-Norton as an aquifer
31:42and it runs out to Rosamund's Well,
31:44which runs into the lake.
31:46But the water can't simply be extracted and bottled.
31:50So to get natural mineral status,
31:52you need two years of stringent testing.
31:54Once they're happy that the characteristics are quite stable,
31:57then you can get the natural mineral status,
32:00which we've kept for 30 years.
32:03The bottling plant is a well-oiled machine, usually.
32:11So today we've had a right nightmare.
32:13So the electricity board have decided
32:16that today they're going to do some work
32:18and they didn't warn us,
32:20so we're going to lose a day's production.
32:23It's just come to a standstill.
32:27All the bottles are going to have to be re-rinseed.
32:29This is going to take probably a couple of hours
32:32to soften all the ink and restart it.
32:36Trying times.
32:37The joys of production.
32:39But since nothing can be fixed until the power's back on,
32:43Trevor and the team are using the time to get ahead.
32:46Because these are returnable bottles,
32:48they come back with the caps on.
32:50It's a lot easier on the production line
32:52if the caps are already off
32:53rather than trying to take the caps off
32:56and stack full ones on.
32:58We'll use today's downtime for some repairs
33:00and just prep and ready for the rest of the week.
33:04The only thing left to do is hope the power's on quickly
33:07so everything can get back on track.
33:12Meanwhile, with the day coming to a close,
33:14keeper of palace, Kate, is expecting a delivery.
33:17The couriers are about to arrive
33:19with four lovely Churchill paintings
33:24painted by Winston Churchill
33:25that are on loan from the family
33:28and also the first Duke of Marlborough's pistols
33:32which were gifted to Winston Churchill
33:35and they're going to be on loan with us
33:37for the next few months,
33:40which is very exciting.
33:42Heart five to meet and greet.
33:44Go ahead.
33:45Has the Williams and Hill van appeared there yet?
33:49Just coming down.
33:54Any events, any vehicles that come into the courtyard,
33:57we try and avoid them going on the cobbles
33:59because they just pop out and they can crack.
34:01They obviously weren't designed for modern vehicles.
34:04They were designed for horse and carriages.
34:06Coming up, Trevor tries to keep his head above water
34:24at the bottling plant.
34:25Nightmare.
34:26It's been incredible.
34:27We've had a hell of a time.
34:29And the palace remembers the past.
34:32It's the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
34:34Very important day.
34:45Jewel of Oxfordshire,
34:47Blenheim Palace is famous for being the birthplace
34:50of Sir Winston Churchill.
34:52Unexpectedly born here 150 years ago
34:55when his parents were visiting his grandfather,
34:57the 7th Duke.
34:58Winston was born in a cloakroom
35:00which was hurriedly transformed
35:01into a comfortable birthing room.
35:03And today, visitors to the palace can see the room
35:06and read about Churchill's story.
35:09And it's an exciting day for Keeper of Palace, Kate.
35:11I think that's it.
35:12Who has just received some new additions
35:14to their collection on loan from the Churchill family.
35:17So, Churchill was actually a very accomplished artist.
35:22He came to painting very late in his life,
35:25but he still produced nearly 500 works,
35:31even though he came into it in his 40s.
35:36Oh, that's lovely, isn't it?
35:38I've never seen it in the flesh before.
35:40I've only ever seen photos, so it is very exciting.
35:42And with the help of former butler, Timothy,
35:46Kate is able to find a fitting home in Churchill's birth room.
35:50That looks great. It's more balanced.
35:52I think he'd probably be really excited
35:54that it's being shared with so many people
35:56and in the room that he was born.
35:59He was very influenced, obviously, by the Impressionists,
36:02so he liked to paint outside.
36:05It was beautiful, natural light.
36:07I do think he was underestimated as an artist.
36:10Obviously, everyone focuses on other aspects of his life,
36:15but it's becoming more of a talking point now, which is exciting.
36:20And that's not the last of the new additions,
36:23as Kate prepares to display the pistols
36:25that once belonged to the first Duke of Marlborough
36:27and loaned to Blenheim by Winston's great-grandson, Randolph.
36:32Now, Randolph did warn me
36:35that he wrapped them in one of his old shirts,
36:39which he said it wasn't a present.
36:43Oh, aren't they beautiful?
36:46Amazing to think the first Duke of Marlborough
36:49held these during the battle and used them in 1704.
36:55They were later gifted to Winston Churchill.
37:01So to be able to have them back is just incredible.
37:04So now we are going to take them down
37:07and put them in a display case
37:09where they'll live and all the visitors can see them.
37:16We're just going to slide Queen Anne back a little bit,
37:20move the despatch over,
37:22and then we want to put these in pride of place.
37:28It was the first Duke's victory
37:31in the Wars of Spanish Succession,
37:34which meant that Queen Anne gave him
37:35the land and a grant to build the palace.
37:41I think that looks good.
37:43Put your fingers.
37:48Back at water bottling, on the far side of the estate,
37:51the power's back on.
37:53But poor Trevor, water manager, is still not happy.
37:57Nightmare.
37:57It's been incredible.
37:58We've had a hell of a time.
38:00So after we had the power cut,
38:03that lasted for six hours.
38:06Then after that, we had a major breakdown,
38:08which needed all the capping heads to be renewed,
38:12all the bushes and the rollers needed to be changed.
38:15So we've lost about a week's production.
38:16So we're only just now running and starting to catch up.
38:21And with summer approaching,
38:23it couldn't have come at a worse time.
38:27For the summer, this should be chocker.
38:30Some of our customers are quite understanding.
38:32Some of them aren't that sympathetic.
38:34They expect water now.
38:35Some of them have got stock.
38:37Some of them are low.
38:38Some of them, sadly, are out.
38:39But we'll get them on board, first of all.
38:42We're working through breaks.
38:43We're going to be doing some evenings
38:44just to keep up with demand, really.
38:47But if you're doing overtime,
38:49it's a great thing if you enjoy the company of your colleagues.
38:52We love working at Blenheim, yeah.
38:54There's only five of us that work here.
38:56We get a few temps in the summer.
38:58But we're quite a close group,
39:00so it's nice we spend our tea breaks together.
39:02We probably spend more time with each other
39:04than we do with some of our families.
39:07So for Trevor and the team, it's all systems go.
39:10And for now, everything's running smoothly.
39:19So these are all brand-new bottles waiting to be filled.
39:23They get put on a depalletiser.
39:26That will push a whole layer of bottles on.
39:29They'll follow down through the conveyor
39:30where they go into the production filling area.
39:33So the new bottles, and they get rinked first,
39:38so they're being turned upside down
39:40and being rinked with our own mineral water.
39:43Then they come down and they're being filled.
39:46Then they're packed.
39:48At the moment, we're filling 2,000 bottles an hour.
39:55Labels.
39:56This machine then puts an inkjet print on it,
40:02so it gives us an expiry date, a time,
40:05and the date it was filled.
40:06We have a robot which waits for 12 bottles,
40:10puts them in the tray,
40:12pushes them through the shrink wrap.
40:14This tunnel is 200 degrees.
40:17It's in there for 30 seconds.
40:18It's hot enough just to melt the plastic,
40:22which gives us a tight vat,
40:24but it's not in there long enough
40:25to damage the glass or the water.
40:31With production flowing,
40:33the deliveries will soon be made,
40:35and Trevor can take a breath at the bottling plant.
40:40Formerly a working farm on the estate,
40:43there are secret glimpses of history around every corner.
40:46So this door has got names, signatures,
40:531936, 1902,
40:56but you'll notice some of the lovely writing
40:59that people had in those days.
41:03This person's marking his days off, maybe,
41:05like he's in prison.
41:08I think 1861 is the oldest that's on here.
41:13They're all local people,
41:14called Bladen, Woodstock.
41:17Scroggs, I know, is a local name.
41:19We've had staff here working at Blenheim since 1903,
41:24so it's obviously nice that generations come back.
41:29We've left it because it's kind of historical, really.
41:34It's lovely.
41:35Maybe on my last day I'll write my name
41:39and when I work for them, too.
41:41And when that day finally comes,
41:43it's fair to say Trevor will be sorely missed.
41:49Remembering the contribution of those who came before us
41:52continues with the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
41:56This evening, the 12th Duke and local residents
42:00are gathering in the Great Court
42:01to pay their respects
42:02and ignite one of 1,000 fires
42:04being lit across the UK in honour.
42:08And at Blenheim,
42:10making sure it goes off without a hitch
42:12is the Woodstock Voluntary Fire Brigade.
42:15It's great to be out in a minute.
42:17Yeah, I'll head over there then.
42:19Who are led by a familiar face,
42:22Ken, Blenheim's property manager
42:24and resident knight.
42:25Yeah, I do wear quite a few hats.
42:27My manager hat at Blenheim,
42:29my crew manager hat with the fire service
42:31and then I'm also a knight.
42:35At weekends, just at the weekends.
42:39So, yeah, we're here just for our safety.
42:41Also just here to be part of the event
42:43and just to give the Duke a hand,
42:45lighten the beacon, that's all.
42:47It's obviously the 80th anniversary of D-Day,
42:50you know, where a lot of people
42:52sacrifice so much to, you know, guard our futures.
42:55It's a very important day.
42:57Winston Churchill is considered
42:59our greatest wartime leader
43:00and with Blenheim playing a pivotal role
43:03in the Second World War as the headquarters of MI5,
43:06this anniversary is particularly important to everyone.
43:10Tonight, as the hour approaches,
43:12they have gathered to listen
43:13to the 12th Duke of Marlborough speak.
43:15Let us take a moment to reflect
43:18on the magnitude of what we are celebrating.
43:22Tonight, let us not forget
43:23the grave soldiers who embarked on this monumental treasure,
43:27many of whom did not return to their loved ones.
43:31very important
44:00very somber, you know,
44:02this is an important place,
44:02being the birth of Churchill,
44:04a very important man during the war,
44:06and just, yeah,
44:08just remembering all those people
44:10that sacrifice so much for us.
44:12With the sun setting over the solemn occasion,
44:15Ken's work is complete
44:16and silence falls over Blenheim.
44:20Next time, Bonnie from the catering team
44:33has a lot to stay on top of.
44:35I know everybody's hot drink orders.
44:39Only the best is good enough
44:40for head of retail, Judy.
44:42With the product development,
44:43it's got to look great.
44:44And the war walkers leave no stone unturned.
44:47I very much hope
44:48they don't take too much off.
44:49There's more next Saturday at ten past eight.
44:56Not quite Blenheim,
44:57but still quite a step up from their old digs.
44:59The Hard Acres are forced to face their past.
45:02Brand new drama on Monday at nine.
45:04Next,
45:05they turned away from official palatial living,
45:08but with their Sussex brand struggling,
45:11are Harry and Meghan going their separate ways?
45:13It's new in just a moment.
45:14Bye.
45:16Bye.
45:16Bye.
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