Chartwell Family home of Sir Winston Churchill Group booking information 2017 A day away from Chartwell is a day wasted -Winston Churchill Contents
Contents What to see and do...3 House and garden tours 9 Prices, timings and guidebooks 4 Catering packages 10 When to visit Frequently asked questions Access statement Chartwell map 5 6 7 8 How to make a booking and what to expect on the day How to get here Where to next? 11 12 13 Group benefits ~ Discounted admission rate ~ ~ Free visit for the group leader ~ ~Free refreshment voucher for the coach driver ~ ~ Free coach parking ~ ~ Special group tours ~ ~ Special group catering packages ~ ~ Pre-booked house entry time ~ 2
What to see and do Chartwell house Chartwell was the family home of Winston Churchill. Filled with treasures from every aspect of Churchill s life, the house here at Chartwell provides an opportunity to explore the home of one of Britain s greatest leaders. The house is available to groups by timed tickets only. Please see the page 5 for information regarding house entry times. All visits to the house are self-guided. For information on private guided tours, please see page 9. Gardens From lakes to rose gardens, there s so much to see in the grounds at Chartwell. Discover what seasonal items we re growing in the kitchen gardens or admire the fish in the golden orfe ponds. Chartwell is built on steep valley sides and consequently the garden involves steps and slopes. Please refer to the access section of this pack on page 7 for more information on accessibility to the garden. Studio Discover some insight into Winston Churchill, the painter. Churchill s passion for painting was enduring and led to him painting over 500 canvasses by the end of his life. The walls of the studio are bedecked with Churchill canvasses, most unframed and in various stages of completion. The studio is open in the afternoon so please have a look. Please check opening times on arrival. The studio is closed in January and by tour only in February. Eating and shopping Why not pop into our Landemare café for a bite to eat. A visit to the National Trust is not complete without a scone after all. The café is open daily from 10am-5pm, serving hot meals between 12noon-2.30pm. To save your group from queueing, why not enquire about our group catering options? More information can be found on page 10. Our shop (open 10am-5pm) is located next to the café and stocks a wide range of Churchill (and Jock) memorabilia and interesting local ranges. 3
Group rates 2017 We offer a discounted entry rate to groups. To qualify for it, groups must pre-book at least 2 weeks in advance, consist of a minimum of 15 people and pay in one transaction. Booked groups receive a free reserved coach parking space and free admission for the group leader. Coach drivers receive a free refreshment voucher. National Trust members receive free entry. House, studio and Garden Studio and garden 12.50 per adult, 6.25 per child 6.25 per adult, 3.10 per child Timing your visit To help you plan your visit, we ve listed our average dwell times for each section of the site below. To get the best Chartwell experience, we recommend leaving four hours for your visit. Attraction House Gardens Studio Café and shop Private house tour Private garden tour Time 1 hour 1 hour 45 minutes 1 hour 1 hour 1.5 hours Pre-order your guide books Save money on your guide book purchases by ordering in advance. We can arrange for the guides to be posted out to you, or we can bring them to your coach on arrival. Standard price Group pre-order price 4.50 4.00 Once you know how many guide books your group wants, speak to our group booking team on Chartwell.groupbooking@nationaltrust.org.uk. 4
When to visit Our group entries book up quickly. To avoid disappointment, let us know your preferred date and time as soon as possible. We recommend making a booking at least 3 months in advance. House timed entries 25 th February 29 th October Monday - Friday 11:00 (Mon-Fri only) 11:10 11:20 12:40 12:50 13:00 13:30 13:40 15:00 15:10 Gardens, shop and restaurant (all year) Monday Sunday (closed 24 & 25 December) 10am-5pm *Closes at dusk or earlier in Winter* Studio Opens daily, times vary. Closed in January, by tour only in February Large groups will be split into smaller groups and given multiple timed entry slots. We are happy to welcome groups on most days but there some occasions e.g. bank holiday weekends and event weekends when unfortunately we are unable to take bookings. When making a group booking, please state your preferred house entry time. Times will be allocated on a first come first served basis. Please note that visits to the house are self-guided and not tours. As entry to the house is booked in advance we cannot guarantee any groups that miss their entry time will receive house tickets. Arrival times To make your entry quick and smooth, we ask groups to arrive on the hour or half hour, at least 30 minutes before their allocated house entry time. We can only welcome one group at a time and should your preferred arrival time already be taken, we will offer you an alternative arrival time. 5
Frequently asked questions Free familiarisation visit To help you plan your visit, we are happy to offer the group leader a free familiarisation visit to the property. Photography Due to the sensitive nature of copyright, photography of any kind is not permitted inside the house or studio. Tours and guides All visits to the house are self-guided. In view of the confined space in the house, we are unable to offer guided tours or to allow leaders to guide their own groups during open hours. We do offer guided tours of the house outside of opening hours, please see page 9 for more details. Timed entry You are required to enter the house during the times stated on your ticket which you receive on arrival. Once you enter the house, you are welcome to spend as long as you like inside. Room stewards There are volunteers in many of the rooms who are happy to talk about the history of the house and Churchill and answer any questions you may have. Garden entry There is no timed entry to the garden so your group can enjoy the garden as soon as they have collected their tickets. Large bags and luggage For conservation and security reasons, large bags and luggage are not permitted inside the house. Please leave these items on the coach or minibus; we do not provide cloakroom facilities and bags cannot be left at the door. Schools School groups are welcome to visit Chartwell although we do not offer a specific schools package. School groups of 20 children or more will be split into smaller groups and given multiple house entry times. We kindly ask if schools wishing to use the shop do so in manageable groups and monitored by a member of staff or guardian. Picnics The picnic area is located at the top of the overflow car park. You are also welcome to picnic on the slopes opposite the lakes, though no tables are provided here. Please note that we do not have an indoor picnic area should the weather not be favourable. Room guides We do not provide audio guides. Written room guides are available on loan in the following languages from the house entrance: English Dutch Danish Finnish French German Italian Japanese Portuguese Russian Spanish Braille and large print guides are also available on loan. 6
Access statement This information is available separately on request. It is important that this access information is read and that the information is passed on to every member of the group. Given its hillside and historic nature, there is limited wheelchair access to the house and some parts of the garden. Chartwell is built on steep valley sides and consequently involves steps and slopes and, as at many country houses and historic properties open to visitors, there are a number of points that we should clarify to help you plan a successful visit. House The main visitors car park is about 250 metres from the House. Access to the House is via a sloping path and 24 shallow steps. Those visitors who are unable to negotiate steps should use the mobility bus, which has a tailgate lift, to visit the house. Please note that the mobility bus is run by volunteers and although we try to provide this service every day there may be days when it is not running. On such occasions, visitors arriving by coach will need to take the path with slopes and steps to the house. A small number of wheelchairs are available at the Visitor Centre, at the entrance to the gardens, on a first-come-first-served basis. For fire-safety reasons it is necessary to restrict the number of wheelchairs in the house. We can take one manual wheelchair in the house every 30 minutes; however, motorised wheelchairs cannot be accommodated in the house. Wheelchair access only to the sitting room, hall and library on the ground floor of the house, unfortunately the lift installed by Sir Winston is no longer safe to use and we are unable to offer this to visitors. There is a virtual tour and a photo album on the ground floor. The house can be crowded. It is advisable to avoid visiting on a Sunday as this is the busiest day. Thursdays and Fridays tend to be quieter. Gardens Many paths in the garden are paved, but the garden does not lend itself easily to wheelchair users owing to frequent differences in level and intervening steps. There is a wheelchair-accessible route from the front entrance to the House, to a viewpoint overlooking the kitchen garden and the Golden Rose Avenue. Studio The Studio, which is situated in the garden, has an accessible entrance, but to avoid steps the route to it is partially across a grass slope. Shop and Landemare café The shop and café are accessible from the upper level of the car park where there are additional designated parking bays or from the ramped area to the left-hand side of the Shop area. This area is at the top of a fairly steep slope. There is a lift from the ground floor of the restaurant to the Mulberry Room and an accessible toilet for those groups booked into the Mulberry Room for lunch. General Access There is an accessible toilet beside the Visitor Centre. A Braille guide is available on loan. 7
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House and garden tours Chartwell house guided tour (Mondays only) The guided tour will take you around the principal rooms of the house and describes the most notable contents and anecdotal information. It gives visitors an insight into the Churchill family s use of the house and their style of living. Duration Cost 1 hour 7.50 per person Excluding admission Minimum/maximum numbers Minimum - 15 people Maximum 30 people Please note that large groups will be split into smaller groups. Availability Monday morning, 10:00am arrival for a tour at 10:30am. Available in March, April, May, June, September and October. Access As only three rooms are wheelchair accessible, the tour is not recommended for wheelchair users. Chartwell garden tour A tour of the gardens to include Sir Winston Churchill s studio, the Golden Rose Avenue, the wall built by Sir Winston, the lakes and the water features. With prior arrangement, the tour can also be given in French. Duration Cost 1 ½ hours 5.00 per person Excluding admission Minimum/maximum numbers Minimum 15 people Maximum 30 people Please note that large groups will be split into smaller groups. Availability During open hours; day and time by negotiation. Access The garden tour route includes steps and some steep slopes and is not recommended for wheelchair users. 9
Group catering packages For your ease we offer a range of catering packages for your group featuring food freshly prepared by our chefs on site. Your guests will have use of our Mulberry room suite or Lady Soames room and enjoy delicious meals at a discounted price. Catering packages are available to book on Monday-Fridays only. We are happy to cater for any dietary requirements, please let us know these when booking. Morning refreshments 10-11.30am 3.95 Minimum 20 pax Tea or filter coffee served with biscuits. Cream tea 3-4pm 5.25 Minimum 30 pax Freshly baked fruit scone with jam and clotted cream served with tea or filter coffee. Afternoon tea 3-4pm 5.00 Minimum 30 pax Victoria sponge served with tea or filter Set Lunch 12 or 12.30pm Minimum 30 pax Please choose only one option below for the whole group to eat Lunch Option Menu Price PP One course Two courses Chicken Lyonnaise chicken baked in a rich tomato sauce served with new potatoes, caraway seed cabbage OR Irish stew - served with mashed potato and crouton As above followed by dessert: Seasonal crumble served with a light custard Cold buffet One round and a half of sandwiches with tea or coffee 7.95 8.95 or 12.70 with a glass of wine 12.50 Or 16.25 with a glass of wine How to book To check availability and acquire further information, please contact us on Chartwell.groupbooking@nationaltrust.org.uk or 01732 861142. 10
How to make a booking 1. Check availability for your chosen date and house entry time by emailing Chartwell.groupbooking@nationaltrust.org.uk 2. We will need to know the group name, group leader s name, approximate group size, date of visit, arrival time, preferred house entry time and contact details. 3. A response and provisional group booking will be made by the group booking team and a booking form sent to you. Should your first choice be unavailable, alternative dates will be suggested. 4. Complete and return a copy of the booking form at your earliest convenience. 5. Once we have received your booking form, your booking will be confirmed. We appreciate that at the time of booking it may only be possible to provide estimated numbers. Please let us know closer to the visit date what your final group numbers are. By using an email system, we can easily track your enquiry but if you would like to speak to our group booking team in person, please call 01732 861142. Please note that without a confirmation from us your booking may be altered or cancelled. If we haven t heard from you two months after provisional booking we will try and contact you, and if we can t get in touch your booking may be cancelled. What to expect on the day A member of our welcome team will meet you on the coach to give a brief introduction. Whilst the introduction is being given, the group leader will be asked to enter the Visitor Welcome Centre to sort out payment (if not National Trust members) and receive house entry tickets on behalf of the group. The Visitor Welcome Assistant will need to know the total group number, the number of National Trust members and if there are any wheelchair users. Please ensure any National Trust members bring their membership cards with them. We will ask people to remain on the coach until the group leader returns with the tickets. Please leave large bags on the coach as they will not be permitted in the house. Enjoy your visit and please ensure you enter the house at the times stated on your tickets. Once inside the house, you can spend as long as you like viewing the rooms. If your group is running late or needs to cancel on the day, please phone directly to the Visitor Welcome Centre on 01732 861159. Alternatively you can call the main office on 01732 868381 and they can pass on the message. 11
How to get here Chartwell, Mapleton Road, Westerham, Kent, TN16 1PS By road Leave the M25 at junction 5 or 6 to join A25. Chartwell is signposted from both junctions. From the A25 in Westerham, turn onto the B2026 (opposite Quebec House). Fork left off B2026 after 1½ miles. Car parking is 3 for non-members and free for NT members displaying a sticker. Coach parking is free with a group booking. By bus Summer Sundays: Catch the 246 London Bus route from Bromley North (passing close to Bromley South train station) to Chartwell - See the 246 Timetable for more details By Train Edenbridge (4 miles) and Oxted (6 miles) stations are accessible from London Victoria and London Bridge. Sevenoaks station (6 miles) has a regular fast train service from London Charing Cross, Waterloo East and London Bridge. Oxted and Sevenoaks have taxi ranks outside to get to Chartwell. You can find out more on the National Rail website. 12
Where to next? Emmetts Garden & Quebec House We recommend combining a visit to Chartwell with our neighboring properties of Emmetts Garden or Quebec House. To make a booking with either property please email Chartwell.groupbooking@nationaltrust.org.uk or call 01732 861142 Example itinerary: Quebec House 11am arrival and private guided house tour 11:30 self-led visit to the exhibition 12noon departure Chartwell 12:15 arrival 12:30pm catered lunch in the Mulberry room 13:30pm visit the studio and gardens 15:00pm self-led house visit 16:30pm departure Emmetts Garden Emmetts Garden is a hillside garden at Ide Hill with views over the Weald of Kent. Enjoy the ambience of Emmetts Garden with its unique collection of plants and trees. Renowned for its spectacular views, fabulous bluebell displays and wonderful shows of autumn colour, Emmetts Garden has something for everyone. The Old Stables café and shop promise a warm welcome for all. Quebec House Quebec House is a redbrick house with 17 th century origins, in the charming village of Westerham. Experience the intimacy of living in Quebec House, James Wolfe s boyhood home, who led British forces to victory over the French in Canada in 1759. Visit the exhibition in the coach house and explore the two sides of the conquest of Canada and reflect on the tragedy of General Wolfe s death. 13