In 1922, Churchill purchased what was to become his respite from the world, his beloved country home Chartwell, in the Kent countryside. Just an hour from London, he said of it once that, ‘A day away from Chartwell is a day wasted’.
When he and his family first went to visit Chartwell, he fell in love. His wife Clementine on the other hand was not at all convinced. The home needed a tremendous amount of work and would take a staff of eight to nine to run. When Churchill decided to purchase Chartwell, he made the offer without first telling his wife.
He spent £5,000 to purchase Chartwell and a further £15,000 in refurbishment costs in order for the family to move in. Over the following fifteen years or so another £15,000 was needed.
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