Skip to main content

No results found

sunshine cat rescue wgbqag
Knowledge

Turning Back Time at Britain’s Greatest Palace

divider
Blenheim timekeeper Julian Newman turns time back an hour on a Boulle pedestal timepiece circa 1740 in the Palace s Green Writing Room

Blenheim Palace timekeeper Julian Newman is turning back time as he changes over 30 intricate and ornate clocks across the Oxfordshire UNESCO World Heritage Site this weekend.

The clock enthusiast has the delicate task of adjusting the time twice a year, alongside his weekly winding and time checking duties for the rare and historic timepieces.

Julian has been keeping time at the Oxfordshire Palace for the last 17 years and he follows in the footsteps of some illustrious predecessors.

Until Greenwich Mean Time became universally adopted in 1884, the estate had its own time zone.‘Blenheim Time’ was introduced by the 4th Duke of Marlborough, an enthusiastic amateur astronomer, and a close friend of King George III.

The Duke used a telescope given to him by the King to determine time across the estate. He would then set the time of the ‘regulator’ grand clock in the Great Hall, which was a perfect timekeeper; and all other clocks and watches were set accordingly.

Blenheim Time was determined using the traditional equation of time, a complicated sum that uses a sundial and a location’s longitude. Due to its distance from London, time at the Palace would have been approximately 5½ minutes slower than GMT today.

RECOMMENDED

holly i1vg6v
Fri 1 Dec 2023

The Christmas carol The Holly and the Ivy has been a much-cherished part of Christmas traditions in this country since the 1700s. But what is the significance of this beautiful evergreen?

thumbnail 218442 ynmp7p
Thu 2 Nov 2023

Monday 13 November marks World Kindness Day, but at the time of writing I’m on my period and everyone is pissing me off, so I’m preaching about self-kindness again instead.

cokethorpe0270 ax1zsm
Thu 2 Nov 2023

By Mrs Nicky Black, Head of Cokethorpe Prep School ‘Head, Heart and Hands’ is a phrase used widely in schools in recent years, popularised because the ‘3Hs’ encompass

Nov 16 23 open eve uzd6sd
Mon 23 Oct 2023

Broader Choices: In a world where educational decisions at 16 can often feel limiting, the IB Diploma Programme offers choice. Unlike conventional education paths, the IB curriculum offers a