![]() "Dogs look up to you, cats look down on you. Open to the public, it remains substantially as it was when the Churchills lived there. Just as the nation recognized the Duke of Marlborough's service with Blenheim Palace, Chartwell represents an act of gratitude for Churchill's leadership. In 1946, a group of friends purchased Chartwell and gave it to the National Trust with the provision that the Churchills could remain in residence for their lifetime. He expanded the lake, included an island, and added a rockery and waterfall, a water garden, goldfish ponds, and a heated swimming pool. ![]() Proud of his skill as a bricklayer, he took out and apprentice card in the Amalgamated Union of Building Trade Workers.Ĭhurchill landscaped and planted gardens and orchards. He laid the bricks for them and the garden walls himself. In subsequent years, Churchill constructed several new buildings with his own hands. Twenty-five miles south of London, this 80-acre estate that overlooked the rolling hills of Kent became the Churchill family home for forty years.įrom 1922 to 1924 Churchill completely rebuilt and expanded Chartwell - at substantial expense - to accommodate his family and work. Clementine, in London about to give birth to daughter Mary that same week, was also unaware of the purchase. Only later did they learn he already had. Sarah recalled, "Chartwell was wildly overgrown and untidy, and contained all the mystery of houses that had not been lived in for many years." The children loved the place and begged their father to buy it. In mid-September 1922, Churchill took his children, Diana (13), Randolph (11), and Sarah (7) on a country outing - to see Chartwell. To be really happy and really safe, one ought to have at least two or three hobbies, and they must all be real." The seeds must be carefully chosen they must fall on good ground they must be sedulously tended. ![]() "The foundation of a hobby and new forms of interest is therefore a policy of first importance to a public man. Mary would write a book about her father as a painter and a biography of her mother, as well as edit her parents' remarkable letters. Ultimately, Randolph would begin the official biography of his father, completing two of the eventual eight volumes before his death in 1968. But, Churchill loved his children to the end. Diana struggled with depression and nervous breakdowns, committing suicide in 1963. Sarah's marriage to a vaudeville comedian was not warmly welcomed. Churchill's relationship with Randolph was often stormy. Marigold's death, at age three, plunged them into profound grief. Winston and Clementine were not spared heartache. But, later it was time for high-jinks out-of-doors - imitating animals was a favorite - or charades and theatricals in the parlor. The children learned to be quiet while their father was writing. At Chartwell he built an elaborate tree house for his three older children and a little brick summerhouse for Mary. When apart, Winston and Clementine maintained their relationship through constant and affectionate letters.Ĭhurchill took special delight in their five children: Diana (b. Clementine - confidante and companion - supported, advised, and challenged Winston throughout his career. ![]() One for Mother, one for Father, one for Accidents, one for Increase." –Letter to Clementine ChurchillĬhurchill's bonds to his family ran strong and deep. Home > Churchill > Biography > Home and Hobbies Husband and Father ![]()
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