Chartwell and Churchill

Roses from the Golden Rose Walk, Chartwell

Today I'm excited to share my visit to Chartwell with you. As a long-time admirer of Sir Winston Churchill, I was so happy to finally be in the place where he and his wife, Clementine, once walked and lived their lives. I just knew this would be one of those highlight days.

Be forewarned ... it's a long post so you might want to have something near to hand like a cup of tea or maybe a rose lemonade.

Speaking of rose lemonade, I first tasted this refreshing drink seated in the outdoor cafe at Chartwell. That first sip and I knew I was experiencing something quite wonderful. A sparkling lemonade lightly flavoured with rose oil, it was a refreshing drink most sublime. A perfect way to end a visit to this beautiful place.

Aside... On our way home at the end of our trip I tucked one bottle into my bulging suitcase. Since then, I've been informed that it's available in certain places on this side of the pond -- so Google it for more info.

It was a gorgeous, sunny day when we visited Chartwell, the beloved family home of Sir Winston Churchill. Chartwell was purchased in 1922 and remained the family home until his death in 1965, at which time the house was willed to the National Trust. I think the NT does a wonderful job of taking care of this and many other wonderful historic places.

When Churchill first saw Chartwell he fell in love with the situation and the view, and Clementine his wife once wrote she could 'think of nothing but that heavenly tree-crowned Hill'. Although now it's not quite like what they first saw all those years ago, there is still so much that makes it quite lovely.

Sir Winston once said, "A day away from Chartwell is a day wasted." Now I totally understand why he felt thus -- with those tranquil, beautiful gardens, lush green lawns, clusters of towering trees, and a view that spans the countryside, it would have been hard to tear oneself away to go do his Prime Minister duties up in London.

Churchill's preference was always strongly for Chartwell but, as Anthony Montague Browne related in his book Long Sunset (Cassell: 1995), the permutations of domestic arrangements became something of a trial for Clementine. He recalled one conversation at Downing Street during the early 1950s:

    Winston: "I shall go to Chartwell next weekend."

    Clementine: "Winston, you can't. It's closed and there will be no-one to cook for you."

    Winston: "I shall cook for myself. I can boil an egg. I've seen it done."

    Churchill's threat was received in dumfounded silence on all sides but it was not carried out. His gastronomic priorities clearly prevailed!

That last line of his makes me chuckle: he can boil an egg, he's seen it done.   hahaha

A popular feature of the Chartwell garden is the walled rose garden, and running in the centre is the  Golden Rose Walk. With yellow roses and purple lavender planted all along this walkway leading to the sundial, it truly is the most romantic of spots.
 
Both Winston and Clementine had a long standing love of roses. Did you know that, as a young man, Winston proposed to her in the rose garden at Blenheim Palace, the place of his birth? And, as a young officer in India during the 1890s he once wrote home to his mother saying how much he enjoyed tending roses around the officers' living quarters. No wonder Clementine fell in love. By the way, their love for each other lasted their whole lives, through the thick and thin of it all.

The Golden Rose Walk dates from 1958, the year of Winston and Clementine's golden wedding anniversary. Its beginning was an anniversary gift from their children with twenty-eight varieties chosen for planting in an east-west avenue. At the centre sat a sundial flanked by the 'Peace' and 'Lydia' varieties. Today, more modern varieties with greater durability and disease resistance are used in the garden.

Isn't this yellow rose a beauty? I was so smitten, I forgot to look for her name. As I'm not sure, I shall call her the Chartwell Beauty.

 

I'm including a two-minute video I found online. Many of my own photos are close-ups so the video allows a broader look of Chartwell. Below are pictures of what I saw and loved that sunny, blue skied day.

I hope you get a sense of the graceful texture and feeling of this lovely home and garden which once offered Sir Winston Churchill refuge and inspiration during some of the hardest days of his life, and brought so much joy to him and his family during the more peaceful and good times.

The house as it looks today

My first glimpse of Chartwell

as we walked into the grounds

A corner pavilion that might have been a shady nook

on a hot summer day or a shelter on rainy one

The other side of that wall

-- doesn't that brick corner look inviting?

A sweep of lawn inside a low brick wall
overlooking the river and wooded area

 

Flowers, glorious flowers!

 

Inside the walled garden -- don't you just love that doorway

arch all covered in climbing roses?

And doesn't that winding walkway

invite you to walk forward?

Can you pick a favourite? I'm hard-pressed to choose one over another.  After the yellow rose photo, I think I'd pick the arched wall and gate with the white climbing rose over it. How about you? Any favourites?

Some other interesting and fine qualities that I appreciate so much about this great man:



His wit and sense of humour...

"History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it."

"I could not live without champagne. In victory I deserve it. In defeat I need it."

"Nothing in life is so exhilarating as to be shot at without result."

(Having been, as a young man, in the thick of real battles either as war correspondent or combatant in pre-World War battles. I don't think I'd want to be that exhilarated!)

His strength of character, statesmanship, and powerful leadership during the Second World War...

His love for painting and beauty. We took a walk down to the Studio, which was filled with many of his wonderful paintings. Oh goodie, goodie! A small crowd of people all waiting for the little lecture on Churchill's work. It was fascinating.

Years ago I bought a wonderful memoir by Mary Soames, Sir Winston's daughter. It was titled Winston Churchill, His Life As A Painter. I wouldn't wonder if after reading that book that I didn't fall just a little bit in love with the man. He obviously loved what he was doing when he painted. Such zest and appreciation for colour and beauty. He did not begin to paint until he was forty, but from that moment painting became a passion that endured for the rest of his life.

I'm not an artist with paints, but I can so appreciate the creativity as expressed through the lives of other artists. The creativity of individuals like Sir Winston makes me excited to go paint ... with words. And to maybe gather up coloured pencils in a jar to feast my eyes upon as I sit at my desk.
 

"Just to paint is great fun. The colours are lovely to look at and delicious to squeeze out. Matching them, however crudely, with what you see is fascinating and absolutely absorbing. Try it if you have not done so -- before you die." ~ Churchill

Photo from the souvenir catalogue

We weren't allowed to take photos inside the studio, but I found a picture in the souvenir catalogue that gives a good idea of what it looks like ... still set up as if he'd just left for the day.

His enjoyment of and love for his pet poodles and a marmalade cat named Jock. Jock had been a gift to him from Sir John 'Jock' Colville, Churchill's joint principal private secretary during his second premiership. Jock outlived his master by nine years.

"Only one thing lack these banks of green --

The Pussy Cat who is their Queen."

~ Churchill

When Chartwell was left to the National Trust in 1966, the family of Sir Winston requested "that there always be in comfortable residence a marmalade cat named Jock, with a white bib and four white socks." And, yes, we caught sight of him! Or, rather Rick did; I must have been looking at something else when he was spotted.

Sorry, I don't have a photo but here is a greeting card I bought in the gift store of Jock sitting in the tulips. It's from a painting by artist Celia Pike.

Finally, did you know Sir Winston had a passion for books? Now for sure he's a man after my own heart. We toured the house, and most rooms had shelves of books in them. I wanted to browse -- to see what books he read. Of course proudly sitting were all the books he'd written over his lifetime. Mrs. Churchill's sitting room was also stocked with books -- I was amazed to find a few with titles and by authors I recognized.

"Churchill had a library in every house he owned. It was among the priorities whenever he drew up plans for alterations and improvements; and Chartwell is no exception. As a young man, he devoured English literature and history with a voracious appetite and invoices from booksellers accounted for a significant part of his spending."

 "Nothing makes a man more reverent than a good library."

One such book was a slim volume called Painting As A Pastime. I was thrilled when I found a copy years ago in a lovely secondhand shop. But now it's been reprinted and is available through places like Amazon. I bought a new copy in the gift shop at Chartwell to pass along to painterly friends. Here's an excerpt from the Amazon site:

"The perfect antidote to his 'Black Dog', a depression that blighted his working life, Churchill took to painting with gusto. Picking up a paintbrush for the first time at the age of forty, Winston Churchill found in painting a passion that was to remain his constant companion. This glorious essay exudes his compulsion for a hobby that allowed him peace during his dark days, and richly rewarded a nation with a treasure trove of work."

There is just so much more that I could say, but the time is now creeping into late afternoon and I so wanted to get this up today. Let's call it done then, shall we? I do hope you've enjoyed the bits and pieces I've shared about Chartwell and about the man who loved the beautiful place on God's green earth called England.

Wishing you a beautiful day,

With hugs,

Brenda

xox

PS. I'll try to get the next chapter up sooner next time.

Our First Glimpses of England

Flying into Gatwick Airport, it looked a little overcast.
No problem, we came prepared for English rainy weather.

After an uneventful and fairly pleasant flight 'across the pond', we arrived to a brand new morning on July 1st at Gatwick Airport.

Somewhere in there we lost a night's sleep, but we didn't notice it right away, what with getting through a long line at customs/immigration, where our agent very cheerfully welcomed us to have a pleasant stay in England, and then figuring out what train will take us to the town of Royal Tunbridge Wells. Well, it would take several trains actually. In the end it was an easy enough trip -- people were very helpful and we learned early to ask questions. Yes, all the while we were carrying our bags around. Weren't we glad that we packed small and light -- one carry-on and hand luggage each -- by the end of that first day!

Flying along at 'trainneck' speed through the countryside, we were entranced. Rooftops, rolling fields, woodsy areas, and country lanes flashed past our window. Flocks of sheep grazing on hillsides surrounded by hedgerows* and rock walls. We tried taking photos but it was mostly a blur. So we sat back and just watched. After changing trains a couple of times, we finally edged our way into Tunbridge Wells station at which time we looked for a taxi. The young man when we told him we wanted the Russel Hotel said, "It's just up the hill and down the street from here -- you can walk there. The fare is £5." By that time we didn't care if it cost £20 and only five feet away, please relieve of us our now too-heavy baggage and carry our weary selves there. He obliged.

By the way, on our way back to London twelve days later, we had the energy and knowledge of the lay of the land. This time we walked with our bags on wheels to the train station. We were seasoned walkers by now. And we felt pretty clever -- we were almost locals by this time and we certainly knew the train was just down the street and down the big hill. Those poor sods looking bewildered and pulling huge suitcases up the hill.

We arrived at our our hotel and checked in. A lovely old Victorian mansion, we had a spacious room with old-fashioned windows that opened to let the breezes in. The ad goes like this: "The Russell Hotel (AA**) is a privately run family hotel that has twenty six comfortable bedrooms, all with en-suite bathrooms. The décor is very traditional without the blandness of modern chain hotels so each room is different with loads of quirks and character."

Yes, the phrase 'loads of quirks and character' sums it up quite well. We adjusted to the quirks and when it was time to leave, we felt a wee bit sad -- we'd had a wonderful twelve days here.

 Russell Hotel, photo from hotel website

The historic spa town of Royal Tunbridge Wells is a large affluent town in western Kent, and we soon noticed all the fancy cars on the streets. Yet it seems many people walk everywhere. Lots of lovely shops, cafes, and restaurants along the High Street -- so much within walking distance. A good thing, because we didn't have a car, fancy or otherwise.

"The area is well-known for its world-famous gardens, fairy-tale moated castles and mellow country manors; don’t miss the romantic moat-ringed Scotney Castle or the enchanting Sissinghurst Castle and gardens, former home of Vita Sackville West, and an inspiration to gardeners world-wide."

Yes, that's what we came to experience ... a little English romance sprinkled with magic, wonder and awe. Let the story begin.

Our First Glimpses ...

Heading towards our hotel on the left side

Backs of houses along our street

Better start the shopping early!

Note the Royal Mail truck at the back

Let's see where this path leads

.

Old stone walls with flowering plants in the crevices

Lots of flowers everywhere

 

Big trees and vines growing like wild

Interesting roof edging on buildings

Did I mention there are flowers everywhere you turn? We loved it.

A glimpse of Russel Hotel through the trees

We found a happening restaurant for dinner our first night.

Food was great -- I had their amazing curry dish.


 

 Calverly Grounds is a spacious park and boasts a small formal garden within
Tunbridge Wells. Great for taking strolls and having Sunday picnics.

This gorgeous kitty was out in the grounds walking with his family --

He stopped so we could admire him.

Wow ... and this is just the first couple of days! Our next adventure and next post is about our visit to Chartwell, the beloved family home of Sir Winston Churchill from 1922 until his death in 1965. Because Sir Winston is a hero of mine, this proved special to me.

I'm having so much fun writing this with you in mind. It gives me a chance to remember and sort through all that we've seen and experienced. Do you recall the lines from Wordworth's famous daffodil poem where in the last stanza he says:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
   In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
   Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

When I recently opened the parcel we'd sent home ahead of us early on in our trip, things I'd forgotten about suddenly came alive again. Memories flashed upon that inward eye and I was there again, in those beautiful places, smelling and feeling, dancing and remembering. Bliss!  

Till next time,

Brenda

xox

*Hedgerows = linear plantings of shrubs, trees, and thickly tangled vines, 5 metres wide or more, along roads and between fields.

This and That England Stuff

Calverly Garden Park, Royal Tunbridge Wells

We are enjoying a perfectly sublime afternoon, and I hope you are too.  As you know, we're back in Canada. It's sunny with a few clouds today. Hummingbirds flit amongst the scarlet runner beans. Sparrows were having a little dust bath in the dirt earlier, then decided it was time for a flap in the birdbath. You can well imagine the state of the water when they were done. So much twittering going on from deep inside the green leafy boughs. I love days like this.

A sweet gentle breeze dances with the lace curtain in our bedroom. As I watch it waft back and forth, I feel languid, even a little drowsy. Maybe a nap first, then a new post. Zzzzz

 Photo from PBS

I'm back. Several weeks ago just before we left for England, Twitter friend Carrie, who lives in Oxford, told us she had a knock on her door one day. It was someone from the Endeavour film crew inquiring if actor Shaun Evans could use her B&B as a place to change after filming. Apparently the street Carrie lives on is used in most episodes of Endeavour and Lewis, as the street is blocked to traffic. Of course she said yes and offered tea which was happily accepted. How cool is that?

Last night after supper Rick and I turned on the telly to watch a British detective mystery we recorded while away. There was Shaun Evans as a young Inspector Morse on Endeavour, using his amazing deductive powers to once again sort out the latest crime.

Although we didn't recognize a particular street or its architecture as we watched, there was so much that felt familiar about the streets, scenes, and architecture. For a half a second, I could hardly believe that I'd actually been there just a couple weeks earlier. In England. Soaking in the historical details and minding the hedgerows as we wound alongside the oh-so-narrow roads and country lanes. I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming.

Oxford is one place I must visit in depth one day. We didn't go there on this trip, except for a way-too-short stop at Oxford's Natural History Museum, which by the way was spectacular. More photos to come down the road.

 Oxford University Museum of Natural History

 The museum displays many of the University of Oxford's natural history specimens

Architectural Style: Gothic Revival

 * * *

Now, before anything else, I want to tell you about the day I met Barbara, dear blogging friend from Cornwall. Her blog is Small Moments and many of you know her.

It was a bright sunny day and hubby and I were doing a tour at the Geevor Tin Mine. The mine, operational between 1911 and 1990, produced about 50,000 tons of black tin during that time. Certainly not the most romantic of spots in which to meet someone, but it was the only place where it worked for us.

So, with pots of tea before us, we sat in the little cafe overlooking the blue, blue water.

 In the far west of Cornwall

While hubby and the rest of the tour ventured deep underground, Barbara and I visited for two hours. And it didn't take long for us to feel at home. We settled in for a nice heart-to-heart, not as strangers, even though we'd never met in person. Blogging does that to a person -- it makes you friends sight unseen.

As we wound up our visit we agreed we'd both be free to blog about our meeting and to include a photo or two, so here we are:

 Barbara and Brenda

Barbara gave me a lovely bag of goodies ... all wonderful mementos of a short, but sweet visit. Here, you might as well peek as I unwrap. I know you're curious.

A very pretty scarf inspired by the wildflower meadow at Polesden Lacey in Surrey. Earlier in July, we visited this lovely garden so it made receiving this scarf extra special. And no, I didn't already have it, although I'd admired it in the shop. Isn't it gorgeous?  I love it.

 

A bar of Cornish-made Kernow dark chocolate and a booklet filled with images of Cornwall ...

Then there was a 2017 Cornwall calendar, and a pretty handmade pouch filled with lavender from Barb's own garden.

Spoiled and loving it!

It was a visit all too short, but it was a delightful highlight of the entire trip and I will treasure as something quite special.

* * * 

Next time, I'll be sharing photos of gardens we visited.

Wishing you a beautiful day!

Hugs,

Brenda

xox

 

At Last ... We're Home!

Here we are back home safe and sound. Oh my, it's been a wonderful trip, and we've been home since late Monday evening. Busy with unpacking, laundry, catching up, not to mention downloading the almost 3,000 photos we took over the last 30-plus days. That kind of number for photos sure is a long way off from the last time I took a trip to England back in 1989. Then I probably thought it was a big deal to take 100-150 pictures for the whole  trip (during film developing days). Of course, it was costly to develop and you always took a chance at what you'll find when they were processed.  Must admit I do prefer this easy, digital age.

So, while the memories are vivid and fresh, it is my plan over the next couple of weeks to post numerous posts, sharing a few of our experiences and stories complete with heaps of pictures.

We saw lots of lovely gardens and castles and stately homes, including Highclere Castle (of Downton Abbey fame - that was a real treat). We visited the seaside, tromped over hill and dale, slept in a castle one night, met lots of new people ... breathing English air all the while.

We often had tea in the afternoons accompanied by yummies like homemade Victoria sponge cake or scones and strawberry jam, sitting out in a garden cafe. We ate fish and chips, the quintessential British dish -- a beer battered fillet of cod, deep fried to a gorgeous golden brown, served with homemade tartar sauce and big fat chips. And on Susan Branch's recommendation (in her book A Fine Romance) we would order the local pear cider, which is now a firm favourite. 

 "One's destination is never a place,

but a new way of seeing things."

~ Henry Miller

  * * *

  "If you look the right way,

you can see that the whole world is a garden."

Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden

 * * *

"One road leads to London,

One road runs to Wales,

My road leads me seawards

To the white dipping sails."

~ John Masefield

The memories are rushing over themselves trying to get their share of attention. Soon and very soon.  For now, I'm happily bidding you a lovely day.  I'll be back with more, much more. Can't wait to share.

Hugs and kisses,

Brenda

xox