National Trust - Chartwell

As Churchill used to say, “A day without Chartwell is a day wasted.” I understood what he meant after visiting this historical place for the first time. The estate is vast and beautifully organized. The rooms are fascinating, filled with countless items from Churchill’s life. There are also many paintings - not only by Churchill himself, but also works by artists like Claude Monet and Townsend. The house has retained its old charm; walking through it feels like stepping into a time capsule. You’ll find numerous artefacts from the Second World War - Churchill’s uniforms, documents, photographs, and gifts he received from world leaders. My favorites were his cigar boxes, Napoleon’s tea set, and the glittering gifts from Josef Stalin - silver, glass, and gem-studded fruit bowls among them. There are many other treasures from the most prominent figures of his era like General de Gaulle, King Abdul Aziz or Franklin D. Roosevelt to name few. The grounds are beautifully maintained, with scenic paths, gardens, and ponds all around. If the weather is good, don’t miss a stroll through the woods beyond the ponds - the tree house there is a highlight, and yes, even adults can fit inside! ;) There’s also plenty of practical convenience: a large car park, a spacious National Trust café, and well-run facilities. I’ve been visiting Chartwell for many years, and it always has something new to offer. Their current Halloween-themed activities are great fun for children. I’ll definitely be back - a truly inspiring place, steeped in history and nature.

We went to Chartwell on an October weekday over the autumn half term. It proved to be a popular destination and the car parks were very full. There are toilets a fairly large, modern cafe and a gift shop close to the reception area. If you wish to see the house then it is necessary to book a time slot in order to control number of visitors inside. The house has beautiful views from the windows and is fascinating, being packed with family furniture, photos and pictures. It also contains many souvenirs and gifts received over Churchill's long and distinguished life and career as well as a collection of his many uniforms. There are helpful and knowledgeable guides in each room The gardens and grounds are extensive and were lovely even on a rather dull autumn day. In summer they must be ablaze with colour. Churchill's large studio is situated a little distance from the house and the walls are lined with many of his paintings. There is an interactive guide which gives information on each of them. The gardens are reasonably accessible but may cause a problem for the less mobile as there are quite a few steps and not all have handrails. There is a shuttle bus for those who would find the steepish journey from reception to the house too much or are tired after walking the grounds.

This was a very special, since Sir Churchill was someone I have been admitted and studied about. If anyone likes a history, appreciate a true beauty of British culture and their heritage as myself I would truly recommend this place. There is so much to see. The house itself has lots of room, then you got a big landscaping and trails around to hike, besides the main House there is art house - where all Sir Churchill painting are placed, cafe shop, local shop. However, my day made people who works there. Each room have a person who are very happy to answer any questions you have, full of passion and knowledge while telling the story. I was very fascinated and felt part of it. Each person was amazing, I didn't catch all names but I would love to Thank you all, especially Paul "Sir Churchill work room', two gents in art room (where I was amazed and like hypnotised listing) - indeed, everyone who I had a pleasure to meet - Thank you for your time. Highly recommend. Besides, I have met very helpful and kind people in town. Thank You - you restored my hope for kindness. For anyone who use public transport, please ensure about the bus who runs only 3x a day.

What a history and what a well looked after home of great politician Winston Churchill. In fact, this looks like a very well presented exhibition how the great man lived and did. The grounds and gardens are equally beautiful. The facilities provided, like parking, cafeteria, restaurant etc are more than adequate. However, considering all the above the entry fee still seems a bit steep as compared to other similar properties of National Trust.

Visited Chartwell House on the 5th Nov. Sadly the house was closed for decorating for Christmas. However the gardens were stunning and well worth a visit in of themselves. The views were stunning and serene. A nice place to decompress. It would have been nice to see Winston Churchills home. But give me an excuse to visit again. Also sampled their spicy bean soup and had to have some apple crumble cake, made from apples from the grounds, delicious.

Excellent. The warm and convivial atmosphere of the house is palpable. This was a home, and that sense has been beautifully kept. And what a home! The walled garden is stunning in the summer months. The large estate and woods are perfect for exploring or just admiring the views. Absolutely worth repeated visits. Do book in advance, especially in the summer. It gets busy and entrance to the house is timed.

Family home and spectacular gardens of Sir Winston Churchill. Thr National Trust manage to keep it and show to the public this hystorical place. Nice to come at this time of the year to see nice festiv rooms.

This is the former home of the Churchill family now owned by the National Trust. A superb property that has the feel of a family home throughout and not a country retreat etc, built to impress. You also get the addition of stunning gardens and grounds plus a gallery/studio housing Winston's paintings and sole sculpture. A really interesting property to spend a day browsing.

While sometimes a bit overcrowded, the house and grounds of the estate are overflowing with interesting history and beautiful glimpses into the life of one of the most interesting families of the last hundred years. The volunteers there were incredibly knowledgeable about the history of the estate as well as the family legacy and were always happy to answer any questions asked to the best of their ability. Loved to see all the beautifully preserved pieces of history and a great visit overall.

No visit to England would be complete without visiting the adult home of Sir Winston Churchill, Chartwell (near the town of Westerham, Kent in South East England). Set atop a hill with views in virtually all directions it is a magnificent estate, completely cared for inside out out. Aside from the main house you can also tour his art gallery with some of his art on display. The grounds are meticulous and quite beautiful. The interior is spectacular, and includes his massive library and unique furnishing. Enjoy.

200th YELP 2016 !! We visited here end of Sept 2016. It was overcast, with rain from time to time. Arrived by car, early enough, so parking was not a problem. We traveled from Broadstairs, on the coast with relatives, who belong to the National Trust, and two of our party had knee issues, so that also made it easy to park very close. I have always, found Winston Churchill a fascinating guy. Especially with his smoking, drinking habits, which we have in common. He looked good in a hat and suit, too, like myself . . . ahem . . . and . . . he was a great orator, much like mys . . . . okay, okay, but I do write some, he wrote loads of books, and I can't paint for poop, he seemed to be rather gifted in that area. Hey!! Bet I'm a better rock & roll, blues, country singer, guitar player though? After parking in the lower area, we had to walk up a slight hill, right below the gift shop, restaurant, bathrooms, which we promptly took advantage of after the lengthy ride from the coast . Then off walking to the main house. The house is situated 650' above sea level, so it's uphill, with snow . . . okay, maybe no snow, but it was up and down hill a lot!! Luckily, there were a few places to sit and rest for the tenuous, all day journey. Her Ladyship says it wasn't more than three minutes, and she just had a knee replacement, but I'll leave you, the reader to judge. Personally, if I was a teenager or younger, I might find this place boring, so I can't really say it's great for kids. There are a few ponds full of fish, lots of space to run around, but not really anything geared towards kids. If you're a history buff, interested in Churchill, and some beautiful grounds, gardens, walks and views, a definitely great place to visit, with a nice little restaurant. The gift shop is oriented towards live plants, but Her Ladyship did find a sculpture, to bring back to the states. It's a duck. Personally, I thought it was one of the ugliest things I'd ever seen, but it kinds of grew on me. It's one of those things that are so ugly, that they're cute. (see photos) Yeah, I really like it now.

This is a must visit if you are looking for an outing from London. Getting there by car is easy. Arriving by rail is more challenging but doable. Take the train to Oxted, then taxi or bus to Chartwell. The grounds are stupendous. Rolling hills and trees with a lake. Manicured fields and gardens. Great place for young and old. After my visit, I completely understood why Churchill adored his time there.

Fantastic day out. The grounds are so extensive that we were there for hours. As a National Trust Member, this is just perfect! The house has an exhibition in and the NT has maintained the property brilliant. The rose garden is glorious and Churchill's art studio is extremely insightful. I've already been twice and I'm sure will go again sometime this year.

The home of the great man himself Sir Winston Churchill and his wife Clementine. Lovely day out lots of green open spaces great for taking the kids, there are a couple of lakes the views are lovely. I did the guided tour after I had spent a couple of hours in and around the house. Loved everything about the place your in touch with history here a great day and a must see....

Nice tribute to the great man, but some parts of the grounds require a little TLC. The house itself is wonderfully interactive experience and I was very pleased that it had piqued the interest of my little boy, who wanted to know more about one of our Island's greatest heros. The gardens were relatively well kept, but have to agree with other reviewers regarding the neglected swimming pool and waterfall (such as it was) spoiling the overall effect. NB National Trust please put some money into repairing these. Lastly, the views were magnificent.