Chartwell

 

Mapleton Road

Mariners was Weald House, Civil Defence Control Centre in the War for the county became a nursery and 30 children from London school bombed out all under 5, flying bomb in 6/44 22 children and 8 staff killed

Mariners Hill.

Iron road from Lewes to London.  National Trust

Chartwell

Chart in a place name relates to Old English ‘ceart’ and occurs in areas on sandstone.  It means rough uncertain waste land with gorse.

W.Churchill lived there 1922-1965.  Had been Eastbury Manor. 79 acres. House of 1923 built round a medieval manor called Atwell.  Bought and presented to The National Trust by a group of his friends in 1947. It had been bought by Sir Winston Churchill in 1922 from Major Campbell Colquhoun, whose family had lived there since 1848. He made major alterations to the house including the addition of an east wing, which contains the dining room, drawing room and Lady Churchill's bedroom. He replaced a porch over the front door with the existing elaborately carved wooden surround. The original house was probably only one room thick, and the original brickwork is clearly visible in the five central bays on the entrance front. After the Second World War many alterations were made inside Chartwell to enable it to be run on a greatly reduced staff.  A large downstairs dining room was used as a cinema. The rooms later reverted to their original uses, although some of the objects and pictures are post 1945.  In the library are his books with a model of the Mulberry Harbour at Arromanches.

The Garden. The main feature is the stream, which starts at the top of the slope as you enter, and runs down to the lakes. First are the fish pools full of Golden Orfe. It is of 12-acres with informal gardens on a hillside with glorious views over the Weald of Kent. The Avenue of golden roses was given by his children on his golden wedding anniversary. A dove, which Lady Churchill brought home from Bali in 1936, is buried beneath the sundial with a romantic inscription engraved on the surround. Near the croquet lawn are stones commemorating Sir Winston's favourite poodles. Up to the Second World War there was a tennis court on the site of the present croquet lawn. In 2004 the kitchen garden was restoered to how it was in Churchill’s day. Pergola. Sir Winston made the bathing pool and Divided the two bottom lakes by a dam, and created the island. On the first lake are Black Swans, originally a gift from Australia. The Marlborough Pavilion on a corner of the main lawn is decorated with a bas-relief depicting scenes from the Battle of Blenheim where the Duke of Marlborough was the victor. This was done in 1949 by Sir Winston's nephew, John Churchill, as a birthday gift from Lady Churchill.

Studio In the orchard at the North East end of the group of cottages. Here are Churchill’s easel and paint box, and chair. The walls are hung with his canvases, a number of them uncompleted.

Cottage, converted from old stables, where the Churchill’s lived for short periods during the early days of the War.

Wall Completely surrounding what was until recently the kitchen garden, is the wall which Sir Winston built between the years 1925 and 1932,

Cottage for Churchill’s younger daughters.

Footpath

To Ide Hill