Chartwell was Winston Churchill's home for more than 40 years from 1922, chosen for its views across the Weald of Kent, and the house is kept as the family knew it, with maps, gifts from world leaders and personal belongings in every room. Down the hillside, the studio holds the largest single collection of his paintings, with his paints still laid out beside an unfinished canvas. Lady Churchill's rose garden, the walled kitchen garden whose brick walls Churchill laid himself, lakes with black swans, and woodland play areas with a two-storey treehouse fill the 80 acres, and dogs on short leads are welcome in the garden and woods. Reviewers rate the room guides above everything, full of family stories you would never get from a self-guided walk through. Tips from visitors: the house needs a timed ticket from the visitor centre, so pick that up first; the site is steep with steps, and a volunteer-run mobility taxi runs from the car park; and the car park fills in school holidays.
