Many people (myself included) consider Winston Churchill to be one of the greatest ever Englishmen. He successfully led the country through one of the worst crises it had ever faced; the Second World War. He was also a soldier, a statesman, an author, a journalist and a painter. I’ve always been interested in history and Churchill has always fascinated me, especially during his time as prime minister. I cannot think of anyone else around at that time who could have led Britain like he did. If you are also interested in the man and are planning to visit Churchill’s Britain sometime, here are some places that are associated with him which you should visit if you can.
Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire
By Road: off the A44 Woodstock, NW of Oxford
Public Transit: Train to Oxford, S3 bus to Woodstock. Users of public transit get a 30% discount on entry.
Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill was born on 30th November 1874 at Blenheim Palace. Although often considered middle class, he was actually a member of the (very) aristocratic Churchill family, descended from John Churchill (1650-1722), the first Duke of Marlborough. Blenheim Palace was a gift to the 1st Duke from Queen Anne as a reward for defeating the French at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704. When Churchill was born, the Palace was owned by his grandfather, the 7th Duke.
Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire
Blenheim Palace is a magnificent building in a beautiful setting. There is lots of information about its history, the house, the gardens, facilities, events, tours etc on the website. As for Winston Churchill you can visit the bedroom where he was born , see the permanent exhibition and “Walk in Churchill’s Footsteps” on the Churchill trail. There is more information about this here.
St. Martin’s Church, Bladon, Oxfordshire
Churchill’s Grave at St. Martin’s Church, Bladon
A short walk or drive (1.5 miles) from Benheim Palace is the village of Bladon. Sir Winston Churchill was buried in the village Church, St Martin’s, on 30 January 1965. You can visit his grave in the churchyard. There is more information on the Church website here.
Chartwell, Kent
By Road: Off the A25/B2026 SE of London
Public Transit: Summer Sundays and Bank Holidays 246 bus from Bromley South railway station
Chartwell, Kent
Chartwell was Churchill’s home for most of the rest of his life from 1922, apart from the war years. The house is not nearly as large as Blenheim, but it is still substantial. The house belongs to the National Trust now and it has been left as when Churchill was living there. If you only have time to visit one or the other of Blenheim or Chartwell, I would always recommend Chartwell, because you get more of a feel for Churchill here. You can easily imagine him writing at his desk or reading a book from his library.
More information about Chartwell can be found here.
The Houses of Parliament, London
Nearest Tube: Westminster
Houses of Parliament, London
Apart from a couple of short periods, Winston Churchill was a Member of Parliament from 1900 until 1964. As well as Prime Minister, he had held some of the other senior positions in Cabinet including First Lord of the Admiralty, Home Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer.
A visit to the UK Parliament is possible, but you need to book in advance. Check the website for details here.
10 Downing Street, London
Nearest Tube: Westminster
Winston Churchill was Prime Minister during most of the Second World War, 1940-45 and in peacetime 1951-55. Since 1735, the official residence of British prime ministers has been 10 Downing Street. Unfortunately, visitors are not allowed in and since the 1980s, it has been difficult to get close to the building as the road is now gated. However, if you sit on the top deck of a bus that travels along Whitehall, like the number 11, you should get a glimpse of it over the gates.
There is more about the history of No. 10 on the official website here.
Finally, there are two sites owned by the Imperial War Museum that I recommend you visit.
Churchill War Rooms, London
Nearest Tube: Westminster
This was Churchill’s command centre during WW2. Much of the business of Government was done here during the war. When the war ended, the place was locked up and forgotten about. In 1984, the Imperial War Museum took over and opened it to the public. It really is fascinating and is like going back in time. Attached to the war rooms is the Churchill Museum, which documents the man’s 90 year life. Well worth a visit if you are interested in Churchill.
Duxford Museum, Cambridgeshire
By Road: M11/A505
Public Transit: Train to Cambridge then Citi7 bus.
Duxford is a former RAF air base and is now a really great air museum. It still has a functioning runway and is often used for air displays. During WW2 it was a key base during the Battle of Britain, made famous by Churchill’s quote: “Never was so much owed by so many to so few”. There is a Battle of Britain display at the museum as well as plenty of other exhibits to keep you there for most of a day.
There is more information here.
Hope you have a great trip!
Incidentally, I really enjoy reading about Churchill in contemporary newspapers, from his early days in Parliament, to the critical years during WW2. The British Newspaper Archives in association with the British Library has a huge collection of online papers. Why not read history as it unfolds? More information is here.
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