Chartwell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chartwell |
|
|---|---|
Chartwell House
|
|
| Type | House |
| Location | Westerham, Kent |
| Built | 1923–24, with earlier origins |
| Architect | Philip Tilden |
| Architectural style(s) | Vernacular |
| Governing body | National Trust |
|
Listed Building – Grade I
|
|
| Official name: Chartwell | |
| Designated | 16 January 1975 |
| Reference no. | 1272626 |
| Official name: Chartwell Garden | |
| Designated | 1 May 1986 |
| Reference no. | 1000263 |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
Chartwell is a beautiful country house located near Westerham, Kent, in South East England. It was the beloved home of Sir Winston Churchill for over 40 years. Churchill, a famous British leader, bought the property in September 1922. He lived there until just before he passed away in January 1965.
In the 1930s, when Churchill was not in political power, Chartwell became very important to him. He invited many people to his dining table to discuss how to stop German re-armament and the British government's policy of appeasement (trying to avoid war by giving in to demands). In his study, he wrote speeches and books. In his garden, he built walls, created lakes, and enjoyed painting.
During the Second World War, the Churchill family mostly stayed away from Chartwell for safety. They returned after Churchill lost the 1945 election. In 1953, when he was again prime minister, Chartwell was his peaceful retreat after he became very ill. He left Chartwell for the last time in October 1964, and he died in his London home in January 1965.
The history of Chartwell goes back to the 14th century. In 1382, the property was known as Well-street. It changed owners many times. In 1848, John Campbell Colquhoun bought it. His family made the house much larger. When Churchill bought it, it was described as a grand mansion. Between 1922 and 1924, the house was rebuilt and expanded by architect Philip Tilden. From the garden, the house offers amazing views over the Weald of Kent. Churchill called this view "the most beautiful and charming" he had ever seen, which made him decide to buy the house.
In 1946, Churchill faced money problems and thought about selling Chartwell. However, a group of his friends, led by Lord Camrose, raised money to help. The National Trust bought the house, but Churchill and his wife, Lady Churchill, were allowed to live there for the rest of their lives. After Churchill's death, Lady Churchill gave up her rights, and the National Trust opened Chartwell to the public in 1966. Chartwell is a Grade I listed building, meaning it's very important historically. It has become one of the National Trust's most popular places to visit. In 2016, 232,000 people visited Chartwell.
History of Chartwell
How Chartwell Began (Before 1922)
The first time this land was mentioned was in 1362. It was sold by a person named William At-Well. The name "Chartwell" comes from "Chart Well," a spring near the house. "Chart" is an old English word for rough ground. People had built on this site since at least the 1500s. The estate was then called Well Street. Some stories say that Henry VIII might have stayed here when he was visiting Anne Boleyn at nearby Hever Castle.
You can still see parts of the old Tudor house today. Some of the brick walls are from the 16th or 17th century. In the 1700s and 1800s, the house was a farmhouse and changed owners often. In 1848, John Campbell Colquhoun, a former Member of Parliament, bought it. His family made the farmhouse much bigger. They added special stepped gables, which are a Scottish style, to honor their family's roots. By the time Churchill bought it, the house was a large, red-brick mansion.
Churchill's Time at Chartwell
Buying and Building (1922-1939)
Winston Churchill first saw Chartwell in July 1921. He came back with his wife, Clementine, who liked it at first. In September 1922, the house had not sold at auction, so Churchill was offered it for £5,500. He paid £5,000, even though he knew it needed a lot of work. He wrote to the seller, "I am very glad indeed to have become the possessor of 'Chartwell'." He added that the view was "the most beautiful and charming I have ever seen." The sale was completed on November 11, 1922.
The years before buying Chartwell had been tough for Churchill. His mother died in 1921, and then his youngest child, Marigold, passed away. In late 1922, he got sick and also lost his parliamentary seat in Dundee.
Philip Tilden, Churchill's architect, started working on the house in 1922. The Churchills rented a nearby farmhouse while the work was done. Churchill often visited to check on the progress. The building project took two years and cost much more than expected, going from £7,000 to over £18,000. This caused problems between Churchill and Tilden. Churchill finally moved into Chartwell in April 1924. He wrote to Clementine, "This is the first letter I have ever written from this place, and it is right that it should be to you."
Chartwell was not just a home; it was a place where Churchill worked hard. He often invited friends and political colleagues to visit. They would discuss important matters and enjoy his hospitality. One guest described Churchill showing how the Battle of Jutland was fought using decanters and wine glasses! Churchill also started writing long letters to Clementine, called Chartwell Bulletins, when she was away. In these letters, he described the work on the house and gardens. He also wrote about his new hobby: painting.
Churchill described his life at Chartwell in the 1930s in his book, The Gathering Storm. He wrote, "I had much to amuse me. I built... two cottages... and walls and made... a large swimming pool." His research assistant, Bill Deakin, remembered Churchill's work routine. He would start reading in bed at 8 AM, then do his mail. After lunch, he would show guests around the garden. After dinner, he would start working again, often until 3 or 4 AM. Chartwell was truly "Winston's word factory."
Chartwell became a very important place in Europe. Many friends, government workers, military officers, and foreign visitors came to share information with Churchill. This helped him in his fight against appeasement. Chartwell became like his own "little Foreign Office," a center of resistance. The visitors' book at Chartwell shows that 780 guests visited. Some were not friends, but all helped Churchill gather information. For example, Sir Maurice Hankey, a government official, visited in 1936. He later wrote that Churchill gave hints about his plans for upcoming debates in Parliament.
Churchill also received secret information from officials like Desmond Morton and Ralph Wigram. This information helped him understand the rise of Hitler. Sharing this data was risky for their careers. Chartwell was also used to prepare Britain for war. In October 1939, Churchill suggested an improvement for anti-aircraft shells based on an experiment at Chartwell.
In 1938, Churchill thought about selling Chartwell again because of money worries. The house was advertised with 19 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, and 80 acres of land, including a heated swimming pool. He decided not to sell after a friend, Henry Strakosch, helped him with his debts. In September 1938, the Russian Ambassador, Ivan Maisky, visited Chartwell. He described it as "A wonderful place!" with a "breathtaking view." He also noted Churchill's studio with his paintings.
War and Later Years (1939-1965)
Chartwell was mostly empty during the Second World War. It was too close to German-occupied France and could be attacked. The lakes were even covered with brushwood to hide the house from the air. Churchill did visit briefly in July 1940 to feed his large goldfish. During the war, the Churchills usually spent weekends at other secure locations. Churchill planned to retire to Chartwell after the war to write his book about it.
Chartwell remained a safe haven during difficult times. Churchill spent the night there before the fall of France in 1940. He returned on June 20, 1941, after a military failure, to think about what to do next. His assistant, John Colville, wrote in his diary that Churchill "spent the afternoon at Chartwell... took me to see his goldfish. He was ruminating deeply about the fate of Tobruk." Churchill continued to make short visits. On June 24, 1944, just after the Normandy landings, his secretary noted the house was "shut up and rather desolate."
After VE Day (Victory in Europe Day), the Churchills returned to Chartwell on May 18, 1945. A huge crowd greeted them. But soon after, Churchill lost the general election. He went abroad, and Clementine began preparing the house for his return. Later that year, Churchill again worried about the cost of running Chartwell. His friends, led by Lord Camrose, raised £55,000. This money allowed the National Trust to buy the house from Churchill for £43,800. The extra money became a fund for the house. The sale was completed on November 29. The Churchills could live at Chartwell for £350 a year until they died, after which it would belong to the National Trust. Churchill thanked Camrose, saying he "never wavered in your friendship."
In 1953, Chartwell became Churchill's refuge again. While he was prime minister, he suffered a serious illness. After a dinner, he collapsed and could barely speak. He was driven to Chartwell, where his condition worsened. His doctor thought he might not live through the weekend. Churchill's friends arranged for a news blackout, so the public didn't know how ill he was. Hidden at Chartwell, Churchill made an amazing recovery. During his recovery, he finished writing Triumph and Tragedy, the last volume of his war memoirs.
On April 5, 1955, Churchill led his last government meeting. The next day, he had a tea party for staff and then drove to Chartwell. When a journalist asked how it felt not to be prime minister, Churchill replied, "It's always nice to be home." For the next ten years, Churchill spent much time at Chartwell. He wrote, painted, played cards, or sat "by the fish pond, feeding the golden orfe and meditating." His daughter, Mary Soames, remembered him in his last summers, "contemplating the view of the valley he had loved for so long."
One of Churchill's last secretaries, Catherine Snelling, recalled that fewer visitors came to the house in his final years. These included close friends and important figures like Harold Macmillan and Bernard Montgomery. On October 13, 1964, Churchill had his last dinner guests at Chartwell. The following week, he left the house for the last time, as he was becoming weaker. His biographer, Martin Gilbert, wrote that Churchill was "never to see his beloved Chartwell again." After Churchill's death in January 1965, Lady Churchill gave the house to the National Trust. It opened to the public in 1966.
Chartwell Today: National Trust (1966 to Present)
The house has been carefully restored to look as it did in the 1920s and 1930s. Churchill had promised to leave it "garnished and furnished so as to be of interest to the public." The rooms are filled with his belongings, gifts, original furniture, books, and the awards he received. Lady Churchill's secretary, Grace Hamblin, became the first manager of the house. Miss Hamblin was also the person who destroyed the famous portrait of Churchill painted by Graham Sutherland. Churchill and Lady Churchill disliked the painting, so it was secretly burned.
To welcome visitors, new facilities like a restaurant, shop, and ticket office were built. The gardens have also been changed to make them easier to access and maintain. The Great Storm of 1987 caused a lot of damage, blowing down 23 trees in the gardens and over 70% of the trees in the surrounding woodland.
Chartwell is now one of the National Trust's most popular places. In 2016, 232,000 people visited. That year, the Trust started an appeal to buy hundreds of Churchill's personal items that were on loan from his family. These items include his Nobel Prize in Literature, which he received in 1953. The award was given "for his mastery of historical and biographical description as well as for brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values." The Nobel medal is displayed in the museum room at Chartwell. This is the house where, as John F. Kennedy said, Churchill "mobilized the English language and sent it into battle."
Chartwell's Design and Rooms
The highest part of the estate is about 650 feet above sea level. From the house, you can see wide views across the Weald of Kent. This view was extremely important to Churchill. Years later, he said, "I bought Chartwell for that view."
Outside the House
Churchill hired architect Philip Tilden to update and expand the house from 1922 to 1924. Tilden had worked for other important people. The house is built in a traditional style, using red brick. It has two main floors, plus a basement and attics. The fancy 18th-century doorway at the front was bought from an antique dealer. Some experts think it looks a bit out of place. The garden wall on Mapleton Road looks like the one at Quebec House, the home of General Wolfe in nearby Westerham.
On the side facing the garden, Tilden added a large, three-story extension with stepped gables. Churchill called this "my promontory." It holds three of the most important rooms: the dining room in the basement, and the drawing room and Lady Churchill's bedroom above it.
Inside the House
The inside of Chartwell has been changed since the National Trust took over in 1966. This was done to make space for visitors and to display many of Churchill's items. For example, some guest bedrooms were combined to create the Museum room and the Uniform room. However, most of the main rooms have been rebuilt and furnished to look as they did in the 1920s and 1930s. They are open to the public, except for Churchill's own bedroom for now.
Entrance Hall, Library, and Drawing Room
The entrance halls were designed by Tilden. They lead to the library, the drawing room, and Lady Churchill's sitting room. The library contains important items related to Churchill. These include a 1942 portrait of him in his "siren suit" by Frank O. Salisbury. There's also a model of Port Arromanches, showing the Normandy landing site after D-Day. The drawing room was mainly used for welcoming guests and playing cards. It has a very important painting: a view of Charing Cross Bridge by Claude Monet.
Dining Room
The dining room is in the bottom part of Tilden's extension. It has the original table and chairs designed by Heal's to Churchill's exact wishes. A painting study by William Nicholson hangs in the room. Nicholson, who often visited Chartwell and taught Churchill painting, drew this for a picture meant as a gift for Churchill's 1933 wedding anniversary. The painting shows the Churchills having breakfast, which they rarely did together. It also features Churchill's marmalade cat, Tango. The National Trust continues the tradition of having a marmalade cat at Chartwell, as Churchill wished.
Churchill himself painted the dining room in one of his pictures, Tea at Chartwell: 29 August, 1927. It shows him with his family and guests. Above the dining room is the drawing room, and above that, Lady Churchill's bedroom, which Churchill called "a magnificent aerial bower."
Study
Churchill's study, on the first floor, was his "workshop for over 40 years" and "the heart of Chartwell." In the 1920s, as Chancellor of the Exchequer, he planned budgets here. In the 1930s, he wrote speeches warning about Hitler and dictated books to earn money. In 1945, after losing the election, he came here to write his histories. In his final retirement, he spent much of his old age here. Throughout the 1930s, he wrote many successful books in this study, including his biography of Marlborough and The World Crisis. He also started A History of the English-Speaking Peoples here.
Tilden removed the old ceiling to show the original roof beams. From these beams hang three flags: Churchill's standards as a Knight of the Garter and Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, and the Union Flag raised over Rome on June 5, 1944. This last flag was a gift from Lord Alexander of Tunis. The study also has portraits of Churchill's parents. The floor is covered with a large carpet, a gift from the Shah of Iran in 1943.
Next to the study are Churchill's bedroom and his bathroom with a sunken tub. When the house first opened to the public, these rooms were not shown. But before her death in 2014, Churchill's daughter Mary allowed them to be opened. The National Trust plans to make them accessible by 2020.
What Experts Think of the Architecture
Many experts don't think the house is particularly beautiful. One architectural historian said the house was "dull red brick and an odd undecided style." Another called it "undistinguished." The National Trust's guidebook describes the original building as "Victorian architecture at its least attractive." Chartwell is a Grade I listed building, but this is because of its important history, not its architectural design. The gardens, however, are Grade II* listed, meaning they are very important.
Gardens and Estate
The gardens around the house cover about 8 hectares (20 acres), with another 23 hectares (57 acres) of parkland. The Churchills mostly created these gardens themselves. The Victorian garden had many conifers and rhododendrons, which were popular then. The Churchills removed most of these but kept the woodlands. They created almost all the ponds, walls, and other features you see today. The garden side of the house opens onto a lawn, separated by a stone wall built in the 1950s.
To the north is the rose garden, designed by Lady Churchill. The nearby Marlborough Pavilion was built by Tilden and decorated with paintings by Churchill's nephew in 1949. Beyond the rose garden is the water garden, built by the Churchills. It includes the golden orfe pond where Churchill fed his fish, and the swimming pool built in the 1930s. Churchill even asked his scientist friend, Professor Lindemann, for advice on heating and cleaning the pool!
To the south is the croquet lawn, which used to be a tennis court. Lady Churchill was a good player of both games. Beyond the lawn are several structures around the old kitchen garden. Churchill helped build many of these. He became interested in bricklaying when he bought Chartwell. In the 1920s and 1930s, he built walls, a summerhouse, and some houses on the estate. In 1928, he even joined a builders' union! Near the kitchen garden is the golden rose walk, with 32 types of golden roses. This was a gift to the Churchills from their children for their golden wedding anniversary in 1958. Churchill's painting studio, built in the 1930s, now holds a large collection of his artworks.
South of the lawn are the upper and lower lakes. These were part of Churchill's biggest landscaping projects. The lower lake existed before, but the island in it and the upper lake were Churchill's ideas. In 1935, he wrote to Lady Churchill about getting a "great mechanical digger" to help. He thought it could do more work than 40 men in a week. But the digging turned out to be harder than he expected!
Churchill kept a large collection of wild birds on the lakes, including black swans, which were a gift from the Australian Government. Churchill loved the animals at Chartwell. His friend Violet Bonham Carter remembered him being delighted when he saw two Red Admirals (butterflies) on the Buddleia bushes he had planted to attract them.
Farms and Stables
In the 1940s, Churchill bought more land around Chartwell, including Chartwell Farm and Parkside Farm. By 1948, he was farming about 500 acres. His son-in-law, Christopher Soames, managed the farms. Churchill raised cattle and pigs and grew crops. However, the farms were not profitable, and by 1952, he was losing over £10,000 a year. By the end of the 1950s, he had sold both the farms and the animals.
A more successful hobby for Churchill was owning and breeding racehorses. In 1949, he bought a horse named Colonist II, who won his first race and later earned Churchill £13,000. By 1961, his total prize money from racing was over £70,000. He once said that perhaps Providence (fate) had given him Colonist to comfort him in his old age.
See also
- 28 Hyde Park Gate (Churchill's London home)
- Blenheim Palace (Churchill's birthplace)
- Churchill Archives Centre
- Churchill War Rooms (London)
