Blenheim Palace

One of the largest houses in England, built between 1705 and 1722 as a reward to the 1st Duke of Marlborough for beating the French and Bavarians at Blenheim in 1704. A battle fought near a town in what is now southern Germany. The land was a gift and Queen Anne put money in, but the project turned into a political brawl: the Crown cancelled funding in 1712, Marlborough went into voluntary exile for three years, his wife lost royal favour, and Sir John Vanbrugh’s reputation never recovered. Winston Churchill was born here. UNESCO listed it in 1987.