Churchill's Charming Chartwell

We took advantage of a beautiful autumn day to head to Chartwell in Kent.  I have been wanting to visit Chartwell for quite sometime and this seemed like the perfect day.

Chartwell was the principal adult home of Sir Winston Churchill.  Churchill and his wife, Clementine, purchased the property in 1922.  Chartwell is south of London in the county of Kent. Kent is filled with charm - charming villages, charming stately homes, charming gardens, and that beautiful English countryside.

Blenheim Palace is also a Churchill home.  This palace was given to John Churchill in the early 18th century from Great Britain in return for a military victory against the French in the Battle of Blenheim.  This is a glorious palace - built to impress.  And it does.  From the beautiful honey color Bath limestone (my favorite), the furnishings, the formal gardens, the grounds - it is all eye candy. Chartwell is completely different.

There has been some sort of dwelling on the Chartwell site since the early 16th century.  It is said that Henry VIII (the king with all those wives) stayed here during his courtship with Anne Boleyn. Her family home was at nearby Hever Castle (also on my list of places to visit).

Churchill loved Chartwell.  He once declared that he bought Chartwell 'for the view'.   And what a view it is!  The green hills seem to roll on forever!

Pictures were not allowed inside the home.  If you could visit this home you would feel that this was really a family home.  So many manor or estate homes here are pretentious and quite posh but they feel cold to me.  I am always left wondering - where do they eat that peanut butter sandwich?  But this home was different.  This was a family home.  I could picture a family here - eating, entertaining family friends, cozying up to the fire, swimming in that cold pool - it is all about family life here.

This home was a welcome retreat for the Churchills from their hectic life in London. They could leave the politics and social pressures of London behind and simply be a family here.  Churchill took up painting here and built a studio to accomodate his newfound passion.  Historians suggest that painting relieved the depression that gripped Churchill at different points in his life.

The gardens were pleasant and not fussy.  These gardens had children in mind  - great for children's games and pets.  Take a look at the size of these leaves!  

When it became clear to the Churchills in 1946 that they could no longer afford to run the property, a consortium of businessmen organized to purchase the estate.  The arrangement was that for payment of nominal rent the Churchills would have the right to live there until they both died at which point the property would be presented to the National Trust (a UK non profit committed to preserving historic sites).  

People flock to Chartwell to hike and picnic along the numerous trails in the area.

We had our own eager hiker!  

And who wouldn't appreciate a visit to the tearoom after a hike around the grounds?  

And another brilliant adventure in our host country!  Thank you, England!