Chartwell was the home of Sir Winston Churchill from 1924. He did much of the work on the lake and gardens himself. He even became a member of the Bricklayer's Union. He loved the house and the surrounding Kent countryside and found it the ideal place to write and paint.
After the 2WW Churchill lost the General Election and came back to Chartwell. He had very little money and decided he would have to sell Chartwell and move abroad. A group of his friends clubbed together and bought Chartwell from him, donating it to the Nation with the proviso that the Churchills could live there for the rest of their lives. Hence after his death in 1965 it became the property of The National Trust.
As with other National Trust properties you are not allowed to photograph the inside of the house which is a great pity as the rooms show that this really was a home and a place he used to entertain a select group of friends.
I love these doorways in gardens.
The Vegetable garden
The croquet lawn
Beautiful!! I learned a little something. More and more places in the USA are allowing photos of the interiors. I don't see what it hurts.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad though that you followed the rules. So many bloggers sneak pics and I'm not into that.
That looks really very beautiful ! I am a little surprised that he didn't have money, as our best man was butler in his house for 5 years. He told us some anecdotes like his wife measuring the whisky he had to put in Churchill's glass, that it was not too much, lol ! Apparently he loved Whisky a little too much !
ReplyDeleteIt's a lovely place. I can imagine Churchill there, and what a nice thing his friends did for him! Thank you for sharing this amazingly peaceful place with me.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous... That was great that they purchased the house for the Churchill's to live in for the rest of their lives... AWESOME!!!!! What a gorgeous place --and they are taking good care of the house and grounds now.... Love it. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Betsy
What beautiful gardens .... and good to know Winston was more than a great statesman ... he was obviously a passionate gardener and artist.
ReplyDeleteThe home and gardens are indeed lovely! Churchill had wonderful friends to purchase the home so he could continue to live there.
ReplyDeleteWhat a story. I love these stories that remind us the greatest among us are human and in need of compassion and decency. I appreciate this post for the story and the images.
ReplyDeleteThe photography restrictions are maddening. Truly, they belong to a pre-digital era. It's silly to prevent people from taking photos so long as they are not using flash. How much farther abroad would stories go if they were accompanied by images?
I loved learning about Chartwell -- new information for me. What a forward looking and compassionate thing for Churchill's friends to do.
ReplyDeleteYour pictures are excellent.
Wow, this brings back memories from 1970 when we visited there. I didn't know that he was poor and friends saved the home. Good for them!!
ReplyDeleteFabulous photos of this remarkable place!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing these beautiful, interesting photos! I came to visit after seeing your photo on The Retired One's Photo Contest. I'm 67 years old and just wanted to check out your blog because the title hit home with me!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful story!
ReplyDeleteWhat's the National Trust's justification for not allowing photography in their properties? As long as it's made clear that NO flash allowed there's absolutely no reason to forbid it!