This year’s Blenheim Lecture took place in the Palace, courtesy of the Blenheim Heritage Foundation, on October 6th. Our speaker was Dr John Goodall, distinguished architectural historian and architectural editor of Country Life. His topic, the life and work of John Vanbrugh, was especially appropriate for our venue (Blenheim, along with Castle Howard, being his best known buildings) and for the year, 2026 being the 300th anniversary of Vanbrugh’s death.
We were treated to a lively and informative description of Vanbrugh who did so much more than design buildings. He was well-travelled as a young man, having spent time in India. His Protestant origins in the Low Countries set him against James II, and he became involved in preparation for the Glorious Revolution. He was too free with his views when travelling in Catholic France, and ended up in Vincennes as a prisoner of Louis XIV for over 4 years, returning to England only after William III had come to the throne. India and Paris exposed Vanbrugh at an early stage to monumental architecture, and he was to become a major proponent of the English Baroque. With no formal training in architecture, but with guidance from Hawksmoor and, doubtless, input from other members of the Kit-Kat Club and a good deal of hard work, he went on to design many great houses of the time. Blenheim Palace, Goodall suggested, was not so much a home for the Marlboroughs, but rather a national monument – a war memorial, built in a style and at such expense as to cost him his relationship with the Duchess. Meanwhile, with his Whig friends in the Kit-Kat Club, he attracted controversy with his progressive social and political ideas. Another of his great interests was the theatre, he was not only a provocative playwright but also the builder and proprietor of the Queen’s Theatre in the Haymarket, his theatricality and architectural designs going hand in hand.
After this dizzying description of Vanbrugh’s exceptional life and achievements, we were ready for a glass of wine and supper. This year, we held the lecture earlier in the afternoon than usual, and it was still light when we held our reception – enabling us to enjoy the terrace overlooking the parterre. The event was well-attended and greatly enjoyed by all. Our thanks go to the Blenheim Heritage Foundation, the staff at Blenheim, and, of course, to our speaker.