- England Explored -
 

A great day to enjoy both the personal, the political and the historical. We drive through Kent, often called the Garden of England to Chartwell. This delightful if relatively modest country mansion gives an intimate view of Winston and Clemmie's home life.

 

In these rooms resolutions were made which were to change the course of history. In the study upstairs Churchill plied his trade as a writer, turning out more words over his career than Shakespeare and Dickens combined, including those which were to win him the Nobel Prize for literature. Churchills paintings are everywhere in the house, and his studio, which contains many dozen more, is open to visitors too.

 

The gardens were a life long passion for both of them, containing Clemmie's Rose Garden, the lakes Churchill spent so long installing and the little brick cottage he built with his own hands for his youngest daughter, Mary.

 

We have lunch at The White Hart, an English Country pub, beloved by the Spitfire boys, those brave young men who saved the country from the Luftwaffe in 1940.

 

Then we drive through Kent's lovely countryside to Biggin Hill, Battle of Britain fighter station and visit either:

 

The Heritage Hanger, where we get up close to the Spitfires themselves. Here some of these rare and valuable aircraft are restored by experts and they share with us the history of individual fighters and the pilots who flew them. We can even arrange a flight for you in one of the three twin seater versions which are maintained by the Heritage Hanger. Get in touch for prices and availability.

Or;

 

Across the field at the Biggin Hill Memorial Museum, where we can discover the lives of those who kept this famous fighter station ticking over despite constant Nazi attacks through the summer of 1940.
 

Opening times for the Heritage Hanger vary and numbers may be limited so we will have to liaise on dates and ticket prices.

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Chartwell itself is closed between Christmas and the end of February and the Heritage Hanger is only open at certain times. Please enquire for actual dates.