Winston Churchill Experience - Churchill War Rooms and Chartwell House

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: National Trust Chartwell, Mapleton Road, Westerham TN16 1PS England

Chartwell is approximately 1.5 hours from London. You will have a personal guide to show you around the House and Grounds. Hear the history of the estate and how Sir Winston Churchill came to buy the property without his wife's knowledge and then live here from 1922 until 1965.

Chartwell is a perfectly preserved time capsule containing all original items that belonged to the great man and his family. Winston Churchill once remarked "A day away from Chartwell is a day wasted"

Your guide will make sure you see all the interesting parts of the estate that highlight the personal side of Churchill and his family. The brick walls laid by Sir Winston himself, and the cottage he built for his daughter Mary. The sheer amount of water features on the estate show his great love for ponds, swimming pools and nature.

But of course behind this great man was a very special woman Clementine Churchill. Her Rose beds and flower Gardens are wonderfully maintained by the staff, and her touch is unmistakable throughout the house. Visitors can enjoy the new exhibition focusing on Clementine Churchill and will come away realising that with out Clementine history could have played out very differently.

The former guest rooms now contain a small museum displaying some of the gifts and honours given to Churchill. The adjoining rooms contain his personal Uniforms and favourite hats.

Your guide will be on hand to point out items of special interest, and answer any questions you have about the estate.

After spending as much time as you like in the house, it will be time to visit Sir Winston Churchill's Art Studio. A place of utmost importance to him. He took up painting at the age of 40, and painted over 500 paintings during his lifetime. Here you will learn about his life as a painter, and see more than 100 of his original paintings.

Chartwell is a special place, so for your visit make sure you are in safe hands with a guide that knows the estate inside out, and loves sharing his knowledge of Sir Winston Churchill's remarkable life.

Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Churchill War Rooms, Clive Steps, King Charles Street Westminster, London SW1A 2AQ England

In the late 1930's as war in Europe became increasingly likely, the British government decided that a secure meeting place for a War Cabinet was urgently needed. The cellars underneath the Treasury building in Whitehall were chosen. The bunker was ready for use in August 1939 just a few short weeks before War was declared.

In May 1940 Winston Churchill became British Prime minister and entering the Cabinet War Rooms declared "From these rooms I shall direct the war!" And he certainly did that.

Later as the USA entered the war, senior commanding officers, met with their British counterparts in the War Rooms to plan operations across the world. King George VI and the Queen even dined with Churchill in this top secret bunker.

This perfectly preserved time capsule was locked up in 1945 and lay undisturbed until 1984 when it was opened to the public.

Everything you see in these rooms is original. The Map room is particularly fascinating as looking closely you will notice thousands of tiny pin pricks that plotted convoy and troop positions across the globe.

You will learn the personal stories of the men and women who worked in the secret underground world for weeks on end with no natural light, and often cramped conditions.

The War rooms also contain a huge museum dedicated to the life and legacy of Sir Winston Churchill. Here you will see personal items belonging to Britain's greatest Prime Minister.

The well stocked gift shop contains a impressive range of WW2 books, souvenirs and probably the largest collection of Winston Churchill Biographies.

Enjoy the day at a relaxed pace with your own personal Driver and Guide dedicated to offering you a truly personal service. And then be taken back to your central London accommodation or landmark to enjoy your evening.

Duration: 2 hours