Chartwell
Family home and garden of Sir Winston Churchill
Mapleton Road, Westerham, Kent, TN16 1PS
Book a visit
Important notice
Opening times for 10 October 2024
Asset Opening time House 11:00 - 15:40 Car park 09:00 - 17:00 Garden 10:00 - 17:00 Studio 11:30 - 16:00 Cafe 10:00 - 17:00 Shop 10:00 - 17:00 Second-hand bookshop 10:00 - 17:00 Visitor reception 10:00 - 16:30 Exhibition 10:00 - 17:00 Book a visitMTWTFSS3012345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031123ÂOpenÂPartially openÂClosedHouse, Garden and Studio
Ticket type Gift aid Standard Adult £22.00 £20.00 Child £11.00 £10.00 Family £55.00 £50.00 One adult and up to three children £33.00 £30.00 Garden and Studio
Ticket type Gift aid Standard Adult £15.40 £14.00 Child £7.70 £7.00 Family £38.50 £35.00 One adult and up to three children £23.10 £21.00 Become a member and discover more than 500 places
Audio guide
Audio guides to garden available from Visitor Centre.
Dogs allowed
Dogs on short leads welcome in garden and Lady Soames Room in café. Assistance dogs only in house, studio and shop.
Bookshop
Second-hand bookshop next to shop and café.
Plant shop
Peat-free plants, plus pots and garden ornaments.
Café
Landemare Café serving hot and cold lunches, light snacks and cakes.
Shop
Seasonal National Trust ranges for home and garden and Chartwell memorabilia and souvenirs.
Car park
£4.40 per car. Members can park for free by scanning membership card at machines.
Toilet
Behind shop and in garden past Croquet Lawn. Accessible toilet by Visitor Centre.
Hillside location with steps, unsuitable for mobility scooters. Blue Badge parking and drop-off available. Accessible toilets. Wheelchair accessible virtual house tour. Wheelchair available on first floor of house.
Accessible route and/or map
Garden partly accessible, steep slopes and steps in places. Map of accessible route available from Visitor Centre.
Level access/terrain
Level access to café and shop from top parking lane. Step-free route runs past front of café to ramped access by side entrance.
Accessible toilet
Next to Visitor Centre and in garden past Croquet Lawn.
Narrow corridors
Narrow corridors throughout house. Please leave large bags and backpacks in lockers by toilets (£1 required).
Braille (guide or menu)
Braille guide to house available at house entrance.
Ramped access/slopes
Ramped access to ground floor of house. Garden partly accessible, steep slopes and steps in places.
Designated parking
15 accessible parking spaces in car park, near to Visitor Centre and Café. Car park has hard surface tarmac.
Seating available
Seating available throughout garden.
Induction loop
Fixed induction loops available in Visitor Centre, café, shop and second-hand bookshop. Portable loop available on request.
Steps/uneven terrain
Garden partly accessible, steep slopes and steps in places.
Large print (guide or menu)
Available from Visitor Centre.
Transfer available
Minibus with manual wheelchair tailgate lift available from car park to house. This is a volunteer-run service and we advise phoning on the day to check availability.
Level access to food outlet
Café situated close to car park. Level access to café from top parking lane.
Virtual tour
360 degree virtual tour of house available from Visitor Centre and house.
Level access to shop
Shop situated close to car park. Level access to shop from top parking lane.
Wheelchairs available
Limited number of outdoor wheelchairs available from Visitor Centre.
By road
From M25 join the A25 and follow the brown signs with the National Trust oak leaf. M25 anti-clockwise: Exit at junction 6 on the M25. At the roundabout take the third exit onto the A22. At the next roundabout take the first exit onto Oxted Road/A25. At the roundabout take the second exit onto A25. Follow the A25 into Westerham. Turn right opposite Quebec House onto the B2026/Hosey Hill. Fork left off B2026 after 1 ½ miles onto Mapleton Road and Chartwell is a short way down on the left. M25 clockwise: Exit at junction 5 on the M25. Use the left lane to continue on Sevenoaks Bypass/A21. Merge onto Westerham Road/A25 via the slip road. Follow the A25 into Westerham. Turn left opposite Quebec House onto the B2026/Hosey Hill. Fork left off B2026 after 1 ½ miles onto Mapleton Road and Chartwell is a short way down on the left.
Parking: Tickets for non-members are £4.40 per car. NT members will have to scan their cards on the carpark machines in order to claim your free parking. We cannot guarantee parking upon arrival. We have two overflow car parks. During peak season - half-term, Bank Holidays, Summer and Christmas - our car park may become full and the overflow unusable due to wet weather. After 1pm during peak season, we will prioritise afternoon pre-booked tickets if the car park remains full.
Sat Nav: Postcode: TN16 1PS
By train
Edenbridge (4 miles) and Oxted (6 miles) stations are accessible from London Victoria and London Bridge. Sevenoaks station (6 miles) has a regular fast train service from London Charing Cross, Waterloo East and London Bridge. Oxted and Sevenoaks have taxi ranks outside to get to Chartwell. You can find out more on the National Rail website.
By bus
Sundays and public holidays: Catch the 246 London Bus route from Bromley North (passing close to Bromley South train station) to Chartwell - See the 246 Timetable for more details. The 236 bus also operates between East Grinstead and Oxted, stopping at the end of Mapleton Road. Please note this does mean walking along a country lane to get to the Chartwell entrance.
Planning your visit
Planning your visit to ChartwellÂ
To help us protect the precious collection at Chartwell, you'll need a timed ticket to enter the house. Discover how to get yours and find out more about planning your visit.
Family-friendly things to do at ChartwellÂ
Keep the whole family busy with a visit to Chartwell. There's so much to see with 80 acres of grounds to explore and plenty of fun and games to discover.
The garden at ChartwellÂ
Enjoy the views that the Churchills chose Chartwell for, and explore the garden they created and loved, from Lady Churchill’s Rose Garden, to the Walled Garden Sir Winston helped build.
Visiting Chartwell with your dogÂ
Chartwell is a three pawprint rated place. Bring your four-legged friend along on a short lead for a stroll around the garden or go for a roam in the woods. Find out more about where you can and can't take your dog.
Accessibility at ChartwellÂ
Find out about visiting Chartwell in Kent if you are disabled or need accessibility information, including visiting in a wheelchair and using the mobility bus.
Group visits to ChartwellÂ
Groups are welcome throughout the year at Chartwell. Find out about what's available and how to book.
Learning with ChartwellÂ
Bring your school along for a self-guided visit around the family home of Sir Winston Churchill.
Highlights
House
Home of Sir Winston Churchill and his family. Filled with treasures, gifts and personal belongings, presented as they knew it.
Rose Garden
Formal rose garden designed by Lady Churchill. Leads into the terrace lawn with views over surrounding estate and countryside.
Walled Garden
Working kitchen garden, with walls built by Winston Churchill. Surrounded by apple orchard and wildflower meadow.
Woodland
Wider woodland with estate walk around the lakes. Children’s play areas, including tree house, bomb crater and Canadian camp.
Studio
Home of the largest single collection of Winston Churchill’s paintings. Interactive displays offer insight into Churchill the painter.
Visitor Centre
Find visit information including tickets, children’s trails and walks. Watch our welcome video and pick up an audio guide.
Landemare Café
Serves light lunches, one pot meals, cakes and bakes. Hot and cold drinks also available, plus ice cream in summer.
Shop
Seasonal National Trust ranges for home and garden, plants, local products, books and souvenirs.
Spotlight events
Chartwell Highlight Tours: Life at ChartwellÂ
Join one of our expert volunteer guides on an intimate tour of select rooms in the house at Chartwell, focusing on Sir Winston Churchill, his family, and the life they shared here. In this tour you will also get an exclusive look into Churchill's bedroom. Please note that as this is a highlight tour, it doesn't include access to all rooms of the house as a regular visit would. You can obtain a timed ticket to visit the rest of the house on a self-guided basis. To visit the gardens and estate, please feel free to arrive earlier than the time listed which is for the tour only. Normal admission into the gardens will still apply. Monday to Friday 4:10–5:00pm until 25 October.
Chartwell Conservation WeekÂ
See Chartwell a little differently and learn about the preventive conservation work our Collections team undertake to ensure the preservation of Sir Winston Churchill's heritage. Our conservators will be holding different live demonstrations each day during Conservation week, with opportunities to ask questions about conservation and the collections at Chartwell, 7–11 October 2024, 11am–3pm.
Relaxed Session at ChartwellÂ
This event has been created for people with additional sensory needs and their carers in mind. Pre-book a slot to visit the house during one of our early morning sessions to enjoy a calmer experience. 10 October.
October Half Term Trail: Jock's Pumpkin PartyÂ
The original Jock was a gift to Winston Churchill on his 88th birthday. Celebrate Jock-tober at Chartwell this half-term. In the run-up to his pumpkin party, Jock has lost his pumpkins! Pick up a trail sheet at the Visitor Centre and use the map to help Jock find his pumpkins in the gardens. Take part in spooky activities along the way. Trails cost £3 and include a prize. Saturday 19 October–Sunday 3 November 2024, 10am–4:30pm.
Book Signing – Lyndsey Guy and Claire FletcherÂ
Join us in the Chartwell gift shop to meet the author and illustrator of ‘The Story of Jock VII of Chartwell’. Since the National Trust opened the house to the public in 1966, the family of Sir Winston Churchill requested that there always be ‘a marmalade cat named Jock, with a white bib and four white socks, in comfortable residence at Chartwell’. Discover the delightful tale of Jock VII and those who came before him at this special book signing event. There will be an opportunity to purchase a copy of the book and have it signed by author, Lyndsey Guy and illustrator, Claire Fletcher. Thursday 24 October 2024, 11:00am–4:00pm.
Churchill's Champagne ChristmasÂ
From Christmas markets to live carol music, wreath-making workshops to a festive family garden trail, plus the lavishly decorated house to explore, there’s something for everyone to enjoy for Christmas 2024 at Chartwell. With so much to celebrate, you’ll want to come back to Chartwell again and again this holiday season.
Churchill’s Champagne Christmas Guided TourÂ
Join one of our expert volunteer guides on a tour through the specially decorated rooms at Chartwell. This year’s theme, Churchill’s Champagne Christmas celebrates 150 years since the birth of Winston Churchill. Please note, if you would like to visit the gardens and studio after the tour, you will need to buy a Garden and Studio ticket from the Visitor Centre in addition to pre-booking your tour ticket. Monday–Friday 28 November–20 December 2024, 10:30–11:15am.
Things to see and do
Explore the house at ChartwellÂ
Explore the beloved home of one of Britain's greatest politicians, Sir Winston Churchill. The house has many treasures and provides an intimate portrait of the Churchill family.
The garden at ChartwellÂ
Enjoy the views that the Churchills chose Chartwell for, and explore the garden they created and loved, from Lady Churchill’s Rose Garden, to the Walled Garden Sir Winston helped build.
Churchill’s studio at ChartwellÂ
The studio contains the largest collection of Winston Churchill's paintings surrounding you as you enter. His paints are still laid out with a canvas waiting for completion.
Family-friendly things to do at ChartwellÂ
Keep the whole family busy with a visit to Chartwell. There's so much to see with 80 acres of grounds to explore and plenty of fun and games to discover.
The estate at ChartwellÂ
Chartwell’s estate and surrounding countryside offers far-reaching views across the Weald. Walk in the footsteps of one of our founders Octavia Hill when you explore Mariners Hill.
Top trails
Weardale circular walk from ChartwellÂ
A beautiful 3-hour walk that links Chartwell with Emmetts Garden. From daffodils and bluebells to roses and autumnal shades, enjoy a rainbow of colour throughout each month of the year as you walk through the West Kent countryside.
Westerham to Chartwell trailÂ
Enjoy a countryside walk in Kent, starting at the village of Westerham and finishing at Chartwell, Winston Churchill's family home.
Mariners Hill from Chartwell walkÂ
Explore Mariners Hill and enjoy views of Winston Churchill's home at Chartwell and the Weald in Kent on this moderate circular walk.
Hosey Common to Mariners Hill loop walkÂ
Explore Mariners Hill on this circular trail, which takes in fantastic views over Sir Winston Churchill's home at the Chartwell estate and the Weald of Kent.
Eating and shopping
Eating and shopping at ChartwellÂ
From tasty treats and hot and cold dishes, to souvenirs, gifts and Churchill memorabilia, you'll be spoiled for choice in the Chartwell café and shop. Why not treat yourself?
Churchill's fruit cakeÂ
Try the rich fruit cake recipe, crammed with juicy dried fruit, that was enjoyed by Winston Churchill, and created by one of his cooks.
Places to stay
The Morris ApartmentÂ
A one-bedroom apartment in trademark Arts and Crafts style, on the second floor of Standen House.
Woodlands CottageÂ
A former game keeper’s house, this classically-styled cottage is surrounded by woodland.
Priest's HouseÂ
Sitting on the edge of Sissinghurst Castle’s gardens, this is the perfect spot for garden lovers.
2 Bettenham CottagesÂ
Immerse yourself in rolling farmland and peaceful countryside. This cosy cottage is the perfect getaway for friends, family and one well-behaved dog.
Upcoming events
Chartwell Highlight Tours: Life at ChartwellÂ
Join one of our expert volunteer guides on an intimate tour of select rooms in the house at Chartwell, focusing on Sir Winston Churchill, his family, and the life they shared here.
Chartwell Conservation WeekÂ
See Chartwell a little differently this week and learn about the preventive conservation our Collections team undertake to ensure the preservation of Sir Winston Churchill's heritage.
Book Signing – Lyndsey Guy and Claire FletcherÂ
Join us in the Chartwell gift shop to meet the author and illustrator of ‘The Story of Jock VII of Chartwell’.
Christmas Fair at ChartwellÂ
Get into the festive spirit at Chartwell's Fair. Let our stallholders inspire you and find the perfect Christmas gift from a selection of handmade crafts and local produce.
Christmas Wreath Making WorkshopÂ
Get ready for Christmas and be creative with natural foliage to make your own stunning wreath.
About Chartwell
Winston and Clementine Churchill bought Chartwell in 1922; it would be their family home for the next forty years.
Born in 1874 Churchill started his life as a soldier and journalist and travelled the world. He would go on to serve as Prime Minister twice, as a member of Parliament for over 60 years under five different monarchs and to lead Britain to victory in the Second World War. He lived an exceptionally long political life and is both a celebrated and contested figure.
He loved Chartwell. Here Churchill was a politician and statesman but also a husband, father, writer, painter and garden planner. It remained important to him until his death in 1965. The rooms in the house remain much as they were when he lived here, with pictures, books and personal mementoes while a special exhibition gives deeper insight into his life through 50 objects.
Chartwell’s hillside gardens reflect his love of landscape and nature. They include the lakes he created, the kitchen garden and the Marycot, a playhouse designed for his youngest daughter Mary. Beyond the gardens there is expansive woodland with looped trails and natural play areas, there is den building and a Canadian camp and opportunities to enjoy the outdoors.
History
Chartwell: The National Trust storyÂ
The Trust’s story at Chartwell began whilst Winston Churchill and his family were still in residence. Discover how we helped to preserve a significant piece of British history.
Who was Clementine Churchill?Â
Find out about Clementine Ogilvy Spencer-Churchill (née Hozier), a keen promoter of social and humanitarian causes, who was far more than just Sir Winston Churchill’s wife.
The history of roses at ChartwellÂ
Roses have long been associated with the Churchills and their family home, Chartwell in Kent. The flower was a part of Winston and Clementine's love story from the very beginning.
Jock the cat at ChartwellÂ
Generations of ginger cats have lived at Chartwell over the years. Discover more about the resident cat called Jock VII and why he lives here.
Art and collections
Collection highlights at ChartwellÂ
There are thousands of significant collection items at Chartwell, each with their own story to tell. We’ve picked some highlights, including Churchill’s Nobel Prize and speech box
A history of Winston Churchill in 50 objectsÂ
Discover more about the extraordinary life of Sir Winston Churchill in this permanent exhibition at Chartwell, including five must-see items from the curator.
The visitors book at ChartwellÂ
You can flick through the signatures in the visitors book on the digitised book. They paint a picture of the Churchills' daily lives and the people they invited into their home.
Our work
The legacy of Churchill’s Chartwell appealÂ
Discover more about Churchill’s Chartwell appeal, a £7.1 million project to acquire over 1,000 of Churchill’s personal belongings which now have a permanent home at Chartwell.
Growing fruit and veg at ChartwellÂ
The fruit and veg plots in the Walled Garden are a year-round hive of activity. From spring to winter, there's always something new growing, or being planted ready for next year.
Winter cleaning in the house at ChartwellÂ
A deep clean and essential conservation work is carried out room by room while the house is closed. Special care is taken look after every item, from skirting boards to chandeliers.
Garden conservation work at ChartwellÂ
Find out about the behind-the-scenes work that goes into conserving parts of the garden at Chartwell, including a wildflower meadow, opening up views and flower border replanting
Butterflies and bees at ChartwellÂ
Discover the history of nurturing butterflies and bees at Chartwell, from Churchill’s passion for them to how we ensure we garden for them today.
Chartwell’s energy efficient greenhousesÂ
The greenhouses have played an important role in gardening at Chartwell, and a project in 2018 saw them restored to become energy efficient and more sustainable.
Our work on the estate at ChartwellÂ
Woodland clearing, tree veteranisation and nature surveys are just a few ways the countryside team work on the estate to improve it for the benefit of wildlife.
Support us
Volunteering at ChartwellÂ
Volunteering is a rewarding way to get involved with your favourite place and make some new friends. Read some first-hand accounts of what it’s like to volunteer here.