Churchill's Grave

William Crawley travels to the wartime leader's final resting place in the Oxfordshire village of Bladon.

Tucked discreetly around the side of the small parish church of St Martin's, Winston Churchill's understated grave contrasts utterly with the pomp and ceremony of the State Funeral at St Paul's Cathedral and procession through London held in his honour on the 30th of January 1965, six days after he'd died at the age of 90.

In a programme originally made to mark the 50th anniversary of Churchill's death, William follows the same journey taken by the wartime leader's coffin from London to this small village six miles north-west of Oxford, where he meets members of St Martin's Parish, Bladon residents, and the visitors who continue to make their own ‘pilgrimage' to the graveside to pay their respects.

Along the way, he asks why Churchill chose Bladon, what impact this decision has had on the village, and explores the nature of the commemoration of the passing of the Prime Minister still considered by many to be the greatest Briton.

Producer: Stan Ferguson

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2015.

William Crawley visits Winston Churchill's final resting place in Bladon, Oxfordshire