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Wounded soldiers icould also enjoy the vast grounds of the palace - Beautifully illustrated with large fomat photographs of the heroic soldiers and the nurses that cared for them

Rediscovered in the archives of Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire - A poignant reminder of its life as a hospital during the Great War.

Fascinating photos have come to light which reveal how one of Britain's most prestigious country homes was turned into a hospital for wounded First World War soldiers.

Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, was converted into a convalescent hospital at the behest of the Marlborough family - who suffered many casualties themselves in the conflict.

The hospital, which opened in September 1914 in the palace's Long Library, could accommodate 50 soldiers and they also fashioned a surgery room, a reading room and a smoking room in the luxurious premises.

The photos, which were kept in an album, have been unearthed alongside an admissions book recording each of the soldiers' personal details and injuries.