Water Terrace Gardens, West Terrace
WATER TERRACE GARDENS, WEST TERRACE
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1203490
- Date first listed:
- 27-Jul-1988
- List Entry Name:
- Water Terrace Gardens, West Terrace
- Statutory Address:
- WATER TERRACE GARDENS, WEST TERRACE
Location
Location of this list entry and nearby places that are also listed. Use our map search to find more listed places.
Use of this mapping is subject to terms and conditions .
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale.
What is the National Heritage List for England?
The National Heritage List for England is a unique register of our country's most significant historic buildings and sites. The places on the list are protected by law and most are not open to the public.
The list includes:
 |
Buildings |
 |
Scheduled monuments |
 |
Parks and gardens |
 |
Battlefields |
 |
Shipwrecks |
Local Heritage Hub
Unlock and explore hidden histories, aerial photography, and listed buildings and places for every county, district, city and major town across England.
Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1203490
- Date first listed:
- 27-Jul-1988
- List Entry Name:
- Water Terrace Gardens, West Terrace
- Statutory Address 1:
- WATER TERRACE GARDENS, WEST TERRACE
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- WATER TERRACE GARDENS, WEST TERRACE
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Oxfordshire
- District:
- West Oxfordshire (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Blenheim
- National Grid Reference:
- SP 43982 15972
Details
BLENHEIM SP41NW, SP4416 2/38, 8/38 Water Terrace Gardens, West Terrace
GV II Water Terrace Gardens. 1925-30, by Achille Duchene for Ninth Duke of Marlborough. West Terrace is bounded by limestone ashlar walls, with steps to north and south; tall wall to east has rusticated pilasters to walls bounding steps which rise to upper East Terrace (q.v.) and central row of caryatids flanking rusticated niches with vasques forming miniature cascades. Two square ponds, with limestone ashlar retaining walls have Bernini Fountain (q.v.) to north pool and copy of Bernini Fountain to south pool. Large decorative earthenware urns stand at corners of pool and flank north and south steps. To east of pools is low wall, with 3 sets of steps to raised walk adjoining East Terrace (q.v.): steps to centre are flanked by sphinxes by W. Ward Willis, 1930, which depict Ninth Duke's second wife, and. lead statuettes of angels standing on fluted Doric columns; steps to sides flanked by similar angels and cloaked putti holding swags. Lead statues on limestone ashlar pedestals to north-east and north-west corners of terrace, depict warriors holding swords and shields. Limestone ashlar garden seats on console supports. (Blenheim Park is included in the HBMC Register of Parks and Gardens at Grade I; Builidngs of England: Oxfordshire: pp474-5; D. Green: Blenheim Palace: 1951)
Listing NGR: SP4398215972
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 253024
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Pevsner, N, Sherwood, J, The Buildings of England: Oxfordshire, (1974), 474-5
Green, D, Blenheim Palace, (1951)
Other
Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England, Part 34 Oxfordshire
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 28-Jun-2026 at 05:36:15.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.