The Triathlon at Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace was never a
military fortress, although it was built to reward the military success of the
first Duke of Marlborough in early C18 European wars. It is not a fortified
country pile, whence armed retainers sallied to intimidate the region, or to
defend against neighbours’ bellicose incursions. It is a grand, Baroque
building for a wealthy grandee living in peaceful England (a function it still
performs, albeit in an attenuated manner).
