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Making the most of our membership…
Since starting our National Trust membership in Feb 2019, we are committed to making the most of it! We have visited 8 so far and it is still just March!
A few weekends ago, we made the most of the gorgeous sunshine and ventured to Chartwell near Westerham in Kent – the former home of one of our great and perhaps most famous leader, Winston Churchill.
I have been years ago (pre kids!) and it was good but I wasn’t sure if it was a family friendly visit. After a tip from a friend, we decided to take the children. I’d also been inspired after watching The Darkest Hour on Netflix. The decisions he was faced with were beyond what most people can imagine and if this film is correct, these difficult choices weighed on him heavily.
It has become super family friendly…
Firstly, this property has really moved on since I visited more than ten years ago. It has become super family friendly as well as being steeped in history. The house itself is beautiful and you can imagine Churchill writing, painting and relaxing in this setting. The thing I really took away from this visit is just how stupidly talented he was. A Prime Minister, leader, military expert, orator, painter and writer. I had no idea he had also won the Nobel Prize for Literature.
The outdoor spaces have been adapted with children in mind and it shows. Armed with our property map we trekked around the grounds for a leisurely self-led family fun walk which is beautifully designed to have something to entertain the children en-route. The children can enjoy the Canadian Camp, the Bomb Crater, the Dormouse Den and our boys favourite, the Treehouse.
Proud Grandson!
Whilst in the house, the children also enjoyed taking the family trail around the house – looking for animals in each room. It made our house tour somewhat brief but my eldest did take in whose house this was, the significance and I was proud to remind him that his 98 year old Pap (my Grandfather) had hosted him on his ship during WW2. He was slightly in awe!
Overall, this place is well worth a visit. Not least for the sheer beauty of the place – inside and out.
Fast Facts
Website: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/chartwell
Cost: Up to date pricing here
Parking: Free to members or £4 for non-members
Distance from Petts Wood: 31 minutes
Distance from Greenwich: 45 minutes
