Today we drove about ninety minutes from Bracknell and spent some time touring the birthplace of Winston Churchill. The palace, the current home of the 11th Duke of Marlborough, sits on over 2,300 acres of an original 15,000 acre grant from the 18th century British monarch Queen Anne to a battle-winning general who became the first Duke. Winston was the grandson of one of the Dukes and is buried at a different estate nearby. One of the guides also explained how Princess Diana Spencer was related to the Duke, but it was pretty complicated so don’t ask either of us to explain exactly how the family tree looks.

Located on the grounds are a large lake with a pretty waterfall, a rose garden, a small gauge train, and a garden maze constructed out of tall hedges.