Chartwell and Down House

You may wish to visit both or just one of these two fine houses; both are fascinating places to discover as you learn more about their famous residents. Chartwell, the former home of Sir Winston Churchill from 1922. The house remains largely as it was when Churchill lived here with his wife, Clementine. Many personal momentoes, photographs and books are on display and the gardens are delightful, in particular the Rose Garden and the Kitchen Garden. Down House is the former home of Charles Darwin, the man who wrote his theories of evolution in his book ‘The Origin of Species’ in 1859. You will see the Drawing Room where his daughter received lessons from Chopin in the 1840s and the Study where he worked with his scientific instruments, read books and dealt with his correspondence. An exhibition upstairs details his long voyage on HMS Beagle (1831-36), his passion as a naturalist and his many discoveries. It also explores the genealogy of the Darwin family as well as that of his wife’s family, the Wedgwood family. The magnificent garden at Down House was central to Darwin’s work and you can visit the hothouse where he made many discoveries following detailed investigations.

Chartwell Images – www.nationaltrust.org.uk