Three Days in Kent–Day 3

On the western side of Kent, close to London, is the town of Westerham, and in Westerham is a country house named Chartwell. Chartwell was built some time in the 14^thcentury; the earliest record for it is a sale of the property, then called Well-street, by William-at-Well in 1382. An historical figure who is reputed to have stayed there is Henry VIII, who allegedly visited while courting Anne Boleyn, who lived in nearby Hever Castle. The most recent owner was, however, equally well known. Winston Churchill bought the property in 1922 and owned it until his death in 1965. In the 1930s, while he was excluded from government, Chartwell became his headquarters where he and his allies tried to campaign against the German re-armament and the British government’s approach of appeasement. While he was the Prime Minister of the UK, Chartwell was his retreat, a place he could go to escape the pressures of the day. He transferred the property to the National Trust in 1946 as a way to deal with his financial problems. He was granted a life-tenancy to the property, which meant that the title actually transferred after his death in 1965. The gardens at Chartwell are laid out today as Churchill and Lady Churchill designed them with only minor updates from the National Trust. See the image above to see a pond that featured in several of Churchill’s paintings. The house tour is reasonably quick, and you can visit the house and gardens in a long morning or long afternoon.

Hever Castle, Kent. ©2019 EnglandForAllReasons.com

About six miles south of Chartwell is Hever Castle which was, as said, the home of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII. The castle began as a country house built in the 13^thcentury and from 1462 to 1539 it was the seat of the Boleyn family. The castle later came into the possession of Anne of Cleves, Henry’s fourth wife, as part of the divorce settlement with her in 1540. The castle was first built in 1270, with a gatehouse and walled bailey. In need of repair, it was purchased by Geoffrey Boleyn in 1462, who renovated it, turned it into a manor and added a Tudor dwelling inside the castle. In the 20^thcentury, the castle was purchased by William Waldorf Astor, who again renovated and modernized the dwelling. Today the property is owned and operated by Broadland Properties Limited and open to the public as a tourist attraction.

Part of the gardens at Hever Castle. ©2019 EnglandForAllReasons.com

The gardens are extensive, with a maze of yew trees planted in 1904 and a water maze where the objective is to complete the maze without getting wet. The house has antique furniture, some of which belonged to Anne Boleyn, as well as more modern furnishings from the Astor family. One could spend an entire day at Hever, but a tour of the castle and some of the Italianate gardens can be completed in a long morning or afternoon, which makes it a good complement to Chartwell.