Let's be honest with each other for a moment before we begin.

Winston Churchill is one of those figures in history who inspires genuinely complicated feelings. To many, he is the lion of the free world — the man who rallied Britain through its darkest hours with nothing but sheer bloody-mindedness and an extraordinary way with words. To others, his legacy is considerably more fraught, shaped by his attitudes and actions in the colonies and beyond. You might arrive at Chartwell holding both of those things at once, and that is perfectly okay.

What we can say, without any hesitation at all, is this: Chartwell is a remarkable place, and you should visit it.

Whatever your complicated feelings about the man, walking through the home where one of the 20th century's most consequential figures ate, wrote, painted, argued, and laid bricks — yes, bricks — is a genuinely extraordinary experience. History doesn't have to be uncomplicated to be worth engaging with. In fact, it rarely is.

So let's go.

The site at Chartwell has been home to something since around 1362, and legend has it that Henry VIII himself passed through while courting Anne Boleyn at nearby Hever Castle. The current house is rooted in the Tudor era, though it was heavily altered over the centuries and had become, by the time Churchill came across it in 1922, what one description rather memorably calls "a ponderous red-brick country mansion... Victorian architecture at its least attractive."

Churchill didn't care. He bought it for the view.

That's the thing about Chartwell: stand in the right spot and look out over the rolling Weald of Kent, and you immediately understand why he fell so completely in love with it. The views stretch out over valleys and hills in that classically English way that makes you feel like you've stepped into a painting. Churchill himself reportedly said, "I bought Chartwell for that view."

He purchased it in September 1922 — and, in a detail that we find entirely relatable for any family who has ever made a big decision somewhat impulsively — he did so without fully consulting his wife Clementine first. Predictably, this caused some marital friction.

Between 1922 and 1924, Churchill brought in society architect Philip Tilden to completely transform the house. What had been a dilapidated Victorian pile was rebuilt and extended into the warm, rambling family home you walk through today. Clementine's personal rooms are a particularly fascinating part of the tour — her bedroom features some unique design choices that came out of those renovations, a space that feels genuinely personal and distinct from the more famous rooms associated with Winston.

The house tour is, frankly, wonderful.

Churchill was a collector and a keeper — the rooms are filled with art, medals, gifts, and historic artefacts from every chapter of his remarkable life. His Nobel Prize in Literature (awarded in 1953 "for his mastery of historical and biographical description as well as brilliant oratory") sits in the museum room. There's a bowl reportedly purchased in some haste by President Roosevelt in Yalta, the day before Churchill's birthday. There are gifts from heads of state, paintings on nearly every wall, and everywhere the sense that someone very large in personality once occupied this space.

The staff at Chartwell are brilliant — the kind of people who have clearly spent years absorbing everything there is to know and are absolutely delighted to tell you about it. Budget time to stop and chat. Some of the best details we learned came from conversations in doorways.

Churchill's study — where he wrote books, composed speeches, and often dictated to secretaries well into the small hours — is the emotional heart of the house. It feels lived in. Immediate. Like he might come back.

Our honest wish? We would have loved slightly more focus on the family as a whole. The tour does an excellent job of centring Churchill-the-historical-figure, but Chartwell was also home to Clementine and their five children, and their story is threaded through the house in ways that deserve more attention. We'll be doing our own extra reading. To be fair, we were wrangling two young children so we may have also missed the parts focused more on the other members of the family.

This might be our favourite part of the whole estate.

Churchill was, famously, a deeply passionate painter. He took up the hobby in 1915 during one of the lowest points of his life, following the catastrophic Gallipoli campaign, and it became a lifelong source of solace and joy. Around 130 of his paintings are on display throughout Chartwell, often described as Impressionist in style, and a short walk from the house brings you to his studio.

The studio has been left almost exactly as he used it: easel in place, palette still out, the light falling in through the windows the way it did when he worked there. It is a quietly moving thing to stand in. Whatever you think of Churchill-the-politician, Churchill-the-painter was a man finding genuine peace and expression in something entirely his own. Even the current monarch has one of his paintings in her private collection.

The studio has slightly different opening hours to the main house, so check before you go.

We have to talk about the wall.

On the grounds of Chartwell, there is a large and quite expansive brick wall. Churchill built it. With his own hands. He was, in addition to everything else, an enthusiastic and apparently rather skilled amateur bricklayer and he spent years adding to this wall during his time at Chartwell, particularly during the 1930s when he was out of political office and the rest of the world was, unfortunately, getting ready to need him again.

There is something I find deeply charming about this. One of the most famous orators in history, Nobel Prize winner, architect of wartime strategy and he spent his weekends laying bricks.

He reportedly found it deeply therapeutic. I respect this enormously as someone who has even completed classes on masonry buildings during my undergrad.

The estate was always, somewhat ironically, a financial burden on the man. Churchill's income was never entirely stable, and Chartwell came close to being sold on multiple occasions. By 1946, with the war over and his writing income significantly reduced after six years of conflict, the Churchills again faced the prospect of losing their beloved home.

It was a consortium of wealthy friends and admirers, organised by Lord Camrose, and including figures such as Harold Macmillan and Violet Bonham Carter (yes, this is Helena’s grandma!), who came to the rescue. They raised £55,000, purchased Chartwell for £43,800, and immediately gave it to the National Trust. The arrangement was elegant: Winston and Clementine could continue to live there for as long as they wished, paying a nominal annual rent, after which the house would open to the public.

Winston left Chartwell for the last time in October 1964, returning to London for his 90th birthday. He died on 24th January 1965. After his death, Lady Churchill chose to remain in London, and she relinquished her rights to Chartwell, presenting it to the National Trust immediately. Chartwell opened to the public in the summer of 1966 to remarkable enthusiasm the queues outside were reported in the newspapers.

The house has been restored and preserved to reflect how it looked in the 1920s and 30s, with Lady Churchill, the Churchill's youngest daughter Lady Soames, and former secretary Grace Hamblin all playing a central role in getting it ready. Grace Hamblin went on to become the first administrator for the Trust when the house opened.

Getting There

Chartwell is near Westerham in Kent, and there's ample parking — we saw taxis and buses pulling in too, so it really is accessible.

If you're coming by public transport, the best option is the 246 bus from Bromley North Station, which runs directly to Westerham Green on Sundays and Bank Holidays from March through October. On other days, take the train to Oxted Station and then the 236 bus to Mapleton Road, followed by a 10–15 minute walk to the entrance. The 246 also serves Hayes Station as an alternative. The main season runs March to October (10am–5pm), but always check the current 246 timetable before you travel.

Food & Drink

There's a large restaurant near the entrance and a smaller café further into the estate, past the house. Both are lovely spots, and the estate is beautiful enough that even a coffee break feels like part of the experience.

One note of mild tragedy: neither the restaurant nor the café had the National Trust chickpea curry pasties that we love with a deep and possibly unreasonable passion. We felt this keenly. One whole rating point has been lost to this pasty absence. Justice for the pasty.

For Families

There is a children's play area on the estate, though it's further from the main house — plan your timing accordingly if little ones are in tow. We didn't quite make it there before closing.

We visited at Easter, when Chartwell had put on a wonderful outdoor Easter trail for children — activities spread across the property that made the whole estate feel like an adventure playground. It was brilliantly done.

Inside the house, there was a beautifully drawn and curated children's trail guide — detailed, imaginative, and clearly made with real care. We wish, with genuine regret, that we had kept ours. It was one of those pieces of ephemera that deserved to live on the fridge for months. If you visit and they have one, hold onto it.

The Gardens

The grounds are spectacular, and contain one of our favourite unexpected discoveries: black swans on the lake. Actual black swans. Elegant, slightly gothic, and entirely delightful. Churchill reportedly loved the animals on his estate, and the swans feel like they have always belonged here.

Our Rating: 9/10

One point deducted, non-negotiably, for the absence of the chickpea curry pasty. Everything else: outstanding.

Have you visited Chartwell? We'd love to know what you thought — especially your feelings about Churchill as a historical figure. These conversations are worth having. Leave a comment below.