Race to save ‘finest view’ at Churchill’s birthplace
DESCRIBED as “England’s finest view”, this breathtaking vista in the grounds of Blenheim Palace could soon be lost for ever.
Engineers have begun a race against time to save the worldfamous Vanbrugh Bridge from collapse and the two lakes it spans from drying out.
A £12million project is aimed at protecting the Oxfordshire palace’s beautiful grounds, which were landscaped by Capability Brown nearly 250 years ago.
Over several decades huge levels of silt have built up, making the lakes so shallow they are now at risk of drying out completely.
Engineers have warned that the 307-year-old grand bridge, built by the palace’s architect Sir John Vanbrugh, would become unstable if the ground subsided as it dried.
Officials at the palace – Sir Winston Churchill’s birthplace – have agreed to take drastic action.
The huge restoration of the Queen Pool and the main lake will see a fleet of diggers dredge 400,000 tons of silt – enough to fill Wembley Stadium to its roof.
The project aims to restore the lakes to their 18th-century depth of 6ft 7in, temporarily revealing flooded rooms in the bridge structure which have been under water for more than 100 years.
Organisers said the dredging process will also uncover archaeological features such as the original canal system layout, which predated the bridge, for the first time in centuries. It will be one of the largest projects undertaken at a Unesco World Heritage site in the UK.
However, officials revealed the work must take place in a small window – about 20 weeks – to prevent catastrophic damage being caused by the lake bed, dam and bridge foundations drying out.
They said the project will also benefit local wildlife and there are plans for passenger boat tours for the first time.
Roy Cox, head of estates at Blenheim Palace, said: “It is absolutely certain that if we don’t do something radical soon, the view will be lost for ever. We have to act now to safeguard this iconic landscape for future generations.
“This is the river fighting back over 300 years. And because it’s a site of special scientific interest, a world heritage site and a listed parkland we have to be extremely sensitive to the landscape we are working in.”
The palace, in Woodstock, was built in the early 1700s as a gift to John Churchill, the 1st Duke of Marlborough, to celebrate his victory over the French in the War of the Spanish Succession. Sir Winston was born there in 1874. The wartime leader is buried on the edge of the estate at St Martin’s Church, Bladon.
In 1874 Lord Randolph Churchill, father of Sir Winston, described the scene as the “finest view in England” as he passed through the Woodstock Gate with his wife, Jennie.