Chartwell . Chartwell is an English country house near the town of Westerham, Kent. For over forty years it was the home of Winston Churchill, who lived there until shortly before his death in January 1965. In the 1930s, when Churchill was excluded from political office, Chartwell became the centre of his world. At his dining table, he gathered those who could assist his campaign against German re-armament and the British government's response of appeasement; in his study, he composed speeches and wrote books; in his garden, he built walls, constructed lakes and painted. During the Second World War Chartwell was largely unused, until Churchill lost the 1945 election. In 1953, when he was again Prime Minister, the house became his refuge after a debilitating stroke. From the garden front, the house has extensive views over the Weald of Kent. It was opened to the public by the National Trust in 1966.