England - September 2018 - Chartwell

Departing Baltimore early evening, we flew across the pond during the night, and landed at Heathrow Airport in the morning.  It didn't take long to clear immigration, get our luggage, get our rental car, and hit the road.

We had a Ford Focus, with the steering wheel on the right and manual transmission.  It had a good GPS in the dashboard, which would prove indispensible for the next two weeks.  I've driven on the left-hand side of the road in many countries so that waasn't a problem.  At first we were on a major highway, but gradually the roads narrowed and the last third of the trip was on narrow two-lane road with no medium or shoulders.  Even though our car was small, it was still nerve-wracking because I wasn't used to it.  I would get used to it though, because that's the way it is driving in England.

Our first stop was Winston Churchill's Chartwell estate, southeast of London.
   
I was surprised how big the estate grounds were.  Everything was well-tended, the estate was like a giant garden.
   
One side of the house.  Churchill bought the property in September 1922 and lived there until shortly before his death in January 1965.  It was opened to the public in 1966, one year after Churchill's death.
   
Churchill was a true rennaisance man:  outdoor enthusiast, gardener, artist, historian, and of course writer and orator.
   
Walking through the beautiful grounds.
   
Chartwell's back yard.
   

Regulars taking advantage of the pleasant view from the back yard.

The house-tour is self-guided with an information sheet to read for each room.  Also, there are docents all over to answer any questions.
   

Churchill was a man who liked a drink now and then.  Maybe he was vintnor among his many interests?
 
   
Incredibly, we did not take a picture of the front of the house!  So here is a picture from the internet.
   
I guess we didn't take any inside pictures either, so here are some more from the Internet.  As you might expect, there were a lot of books in the house!
   
 
   
 
   
As you can see, Chartwell is a lot more than Churchill's house; it is a very large estate.
   
 
   
Previous
Home
Next