A friend and I had planned on visiting Chartwell, the home of Winston Churchill, but our best laid plans came undone. We had chosen the best day of the half-term holiday. Everyone was out! When we arrived, they had just shut the car park! ‘Try again in half an hour or an hour,’ we were advised.
Chartwell is close to the village of Westerham (there is a statue of Churchill on the green and a tea shop bearing his name). We headed into Westerham to have lunch. We had walked by Quebec House. My friend had been before, but I’d never heard of it. We shelved the information for later and set out again for Chartwell, only to find the car park still closed.
Back in Westerham we parked and walked to Quebec House, which we were told (on entering) was the first house ever bequeathed by Will to the National Trust. The house was saved by General James Wolfe, who grew up here.
Aged only 14, Wolfe received his first military commission and later went on to command the army sent to recapture Quebec from the French. Sadly, he died there, but he achieved the goal he was sent to carry out. He is buried in Greenwich, but there is a memorial and sculpture of him in Westminster Abbey.
On display are lots of military history – documents, paintings of ships, a model of the long boat they used to get from ship to shore, uniforms, pistols and other paraphernalia. I loved the kitchen with its bottles of stomach churning remedies for various ailments.
Outside there is good sized garden, and an outbuilding with a display about the battle. Of course, there is the usual NT shop and also a secondhand bookshop (rummage essential!).
Although I don’t have any real interest in military things, this was a pleasant house to wander around. It is only small (only the downstairs is open to the public), but our guide was very knowledgeable about both the house and James Wolfe’s military history. The house is now closed for winter and reopens in March 2022. Entrance is free.
My London+ 