Chartwell

Sunday
Today we enjoyed a fascinating visit to Chartwell, the home of Winston Churchill for over forty years. We didn’t make it there until almost 1 pm - having slept a little later than intended, and then having a slow journey from our hotel in central London. Churchill bought the property in September 1922 and lived there until shortly before his death in January 1965. In 1946, when financial constraints forced him to consider selling Chartwell, it was acquired by the National Trust with funds raised by a consortium of Churchill's friends led by Lord Camrose, on condition that the Churchills retain a life-tenancy. After Churchill's death, Lady Churchill surrendered her lease on the house and it was opened to the public by the Trust the following year in 1966. Chartwell is one of the Trusts most visited sites, and being a hot sunny day was a popular place to be. Admission is by timed ticket, and with the car parks as full as they were, we were afraid we might be too late to get into the house, but fortunately we got a ticket for 3 pm. In the meantime, we looked around the gardens and visited his painting studio, which he had set up in some old cottages on the estate. They have a little over 100 of his paintings - he painted over 500 - either in the house or the studio. There were well informed and chatty volunteers in the studio and each room in the house, making for an interesting tour. This evening we were staying at a hotel in Bromley - closer to where we meet up with our daughter Laura tomorrow morning. We enjoyed a lovely meal in their restaurant to wrap up a good day.