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Alternative parking at Chartwell

A view of the lake and garden with the house in the distance in spring at Chartwell, Kent
The grounds at Chartwell | © National Trust Images / Kate York

Read our top suggestions for alternative places to park when we have to close the car park at Chartwell. Also, what else you can do if we're full, and how to make a full National Trust day out with visits to nearby places.

Alternate parking options

In very busy periods, we may have to temporarily close our car park here at Chartwell, although we always seek to reopen as soon as we can. Keep an eye on our website for updates.

If we do have to close our car park, there are a few nearby alternate parking options you can take, if you don't mind a bit of a walk.

There is a free but small car park located just this side of Westerham on the B2026 at the top of Hosey Hill. Hosey Common car park is a public car park outside of National Trust care, parking here is at your own risk. Spaces are very limited but it's only a 20–30-minute walk away from Chartwell through the woods, with some sections of the walk on narrow country lanes.

Westerham village

Take a longer walk from nearby village Westerham, with neighbouring National Trust property, Quebec House to be found here too. There is a pay and display public car park less than 5 minutes away from Quebec House. This is a public car park outside of National Trust care, parking here is at your own risk.

The walk to Chartwell is roughly 2 miles, taking about an hour to complete.

Toys Hill

Discover Toys Hill, the place that inspired Octavia Hill to found the National Trust, with the far-reaching views out of the Weald of Kent soon showing you why. Keep an eye out along the way for Octavia Hill's well, our bat tower and the old forgotten site of Weardale Manor as you go.

To celebrate the connection between Octavia Hill and Toys Hill, in 2012 we even named two of our trails after her to mark the centenary of her death. The Octavia Hill Centenary West Trail shows you the paths to Chartwell from Toys Hill.

Find out more about Toys Hill here.

A visitor sits on a bench admiring the view of of the countryside while on the circular walk at Emmetts Garden, Kent
Admiring the Kent countryside at Emmetts Garden | © National Trust Images / John Miller

Emmetts Garden

Combine a visit to Chartwell with a trip to nearby property Emmetts Garden. The car park is free, but all non-members will have to pay the standard admittance to view the garden itself.

Our circular Weardale walk shows the route between Emmetts Garden and Chartwell, taking about 3 hours to complete the 5-mile circular walk in full.

A new trail connecting Emmetts Garden to Chartwell, via Octavia Hill well launched in spring 2022. Pick up walking directions from the Visitor Centre.

Find out more about Emmetts Garden here.

Bus route

To help us reduce our impact on the environment, as well as easing pressure on our often-busy car park, the 246 bus from Bromley stops off at Chartwell on Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays.

You can find all times and bus stop locations here: London Bus Routes

A long view of the red brick house at Chartwell in Kent with a sweeping lawn running up to the terrace of the house and trees surrounding the grounds

Discover more at Chartwell

Find out when Chartwell is open, how to get here, the things to see and do and more.

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