Chartwell

Chartwell was the family home of Sir Winston Churchill and it is kept much as the family left it, with personal belongings, gifts and furnishings on show throughout the house. Outside, the estate has formal rose and walled kitchen gardens, a wildflower meadow and wider woodland with lakes and an estate walk. Families with children tend to head for the woodland play areas, which include a two-storey treehouse, swings, climbing and balance beams around an old bomb crater. There is a studio with the largest single collection of Churchill's paintings and interactive displays about his work as a painter, a café and a second-hand bookshop. Seasonal family trails and festive events run through the year. The house is entered by timed ticket, so the grounds and play areas are the easiest way to spend a relaxed afternoon with younger children.