Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire: Women’s National Land Service Corps

Available for over a year

During the war the 9th Duke of Marlborough turned over Blenheim Palace's 2,000 acres of parkland to growing crops and raising livestock. As the fighting dragged on it was the Duke who realised that women would be needed to take the place of the 60,000 agricultural labourers, from across the country, that the government planned to call up for military service. In November 1915 he voiced his concerns in the House of Lords and in February 1916 he became president of the newly formed Women’s National Land Service Corps – the forerunner of the Women's Land Army - almost by default. The land agent's records show a mixed response to women working on the estate’s tenanted farms but, at the end of the war, 300 women from the Land Corps marched in Oxford to be honoured for their service by Queen Mary. The current Duke of Marlborough talks about his grandfather's role, and Blenheim Palace's head gardener and head of education reflect on the role of women on the estate during the war. Location: Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 1PP Image of Blenheim Palace land girls courtesy of Oxfordshire History Centre Presented by 11th Duke of Marlborough Reporting for the BBC: Jane Markham, Podcats Productions