The History of the Royal Park

In Saxon times, much of what is now West Oxfordshire was still covered in primeval forest – the Wychwood. This consisted of heavily wooded areas with the occasional clearing. One such was Woodstock – the name signifying ‘a clearing in the woods’. It was the site of a royal hunting lodge and it is known that King Ethelred (the unready) held a royal council here in the late 10^th century.

Following the Norman Conquest in 1066, the royal connection with Woodstock grew stronger and in 1110 King Henry 1^st, the youngest son of William the Conqueror, rebuilt the Saxon lodge and had a wall erected around the royal park in order to enclose his collection of exotic and wild animals. ‘Woodstock Manor’ or ‘Woodstock Palace’ as it was also known, became a favourite royal hunting lodge. Since Norman Forest Law did not permit persons unconnected with the King’s hunt to live in the park, the Saxon peasants were evicted and thus the original settlement of Woodstock, now known as ‘Old Woodstock’ grew up outside the walls of the royal park,

The royal connection with Woodstock strengthened over the years and ‘New Woodstock’ became a prosperous market town, servicing the Royal Court when it was in residence. However, by the mid 1500’s royal interest in hunting at Woodstock had waned and the palace fell into disrepair – moreover the Civil War of the mid 17^th century was not kind to Woodstock or the palace and in 1646 Cromwell’s forces left it in ruins, in which state it remained until 1704.

In that year General John Churchill, the victor in the War of Spanish Succession and the vanquisher of England’s old foe, the French, was created the 1^st Duke of Marlborough and was rewarded by Queen Anne with the gift of the old Royal Park and Manor of Woodstock, together with a sum of money to enable him to build a suitable residence there. This was to be known as Blenheim Park and Palace in honour of his most famous victory.

Nigel Clifford MBE