‘Westerham’, observed George Bevan in his 1876 Handbook to the County of Kent, is
‘a pretty little town, dependent more on the scenery around than on any intrinsic
interest.’ While Bevan, a compiler of numerous individual English county handbooks
for travelers, has many insightful gems of information to share about late 19th century
Kent, his description of the historic market town of Westerham sorely needs updating.
Once home to a variety of world-famous residents ranging from John Frith, the 16th
century reformer burned at the stake as a heretic in Smithfield, and Major-General
James Wolfe victorious over the French in Quebec, Canada, to Sir Winston Churchill,
Britain’s most eminent 20th century Prime Minister. Westerham today holds much of
genuine interest for visitors. The town’s proximity to Chartwell, Sir Winston Churchill’s
historic home; Downe House, where Charles Darwin lived with his family and wrote
On the Origin of the Species (1859); and with London (22 miles); and junctions 5
and 6 of the M25, makes Westerham and its picturesque, wooded surrounds an ideal
day or weekend trip for travelers. With its relatively straightforward layout and
small, welcoming size, the town is especially well suited for walking tours.
Naturally,
Westerham boasts openly of its links to famous luminaries particularly Wolfe and
Churchill—there are large statues of both men in the village green—and makes as much
of these associations as possible. Yet the town has more to offer than simply connections
to great men.
Many of Westerham’s homes and structures are historic, dating as far
back as the 12th century. Stroll across the village green to the medieval parish
Church of St Mary the Virgin, in which many well-known persons have been baptised
down the centuries; tour the old houses, inns, and almshouses such as Darenth, Red
Cow House, Copthill and the Old Vicarage off the square, on the opposite side of
Vicarage Hill, for an interesting sample of 15th century buildings. Visit Pitts Cottage,
originally constructed in the 16th century, for a glimpse of the home once lived
in by William Pitt while his primary residence in Keston underwent repair. Drawn
to the unusual? Don’t miss the ruined, romantic 18th century Folly Tower on Tower
Wood, off Hosey Hill, allegedly built on a whim by an ancestor of the Warde family
to amuse his children and provide an unbroken view of St Paul’s Cathedral in London.
One of Westerham’s finest homes, Squerryes Court, a well-preserved 17th century manor
house with formal gardens in a parkland setting, home to the Warde family since 1731,
should be instantly recognisable to television viewers. Interior and exterior shots
of this stately house appeared in the 2009 BBC Jane Austen mini-series Emma, with
Squerryes posing as Emma Woodhouse’s beloved home, Hartfield.
Originally a lesser
manor of the manor of Westerham, Squerryes dates back to the reign of Henry III (1216-72),
when a family named de Squerrie reportedly lived at the site. The current owner still
retains the title of Lord of the Manor of Westerham. Since its medieval inception,
the house has changed hands, and facades, several times. When the diarist John Evelyn
visited Squerryes in 1658, shortly before it was demolished and beautifully rebuilt
by Sir Nicholas Crisp, he characterised it as ‘a pretty, finely wooded, well watered
seate, the stables good, the house old but convenient’. Evelyn’s description, though
no longer quite fitting, is suggestive of Squerryes’s charms and ongoing capacity
to attract scores of visitors to Westerham.
Westerham is a late Anglo-Saxon word
meaning ‘the Western estate’ or ‘westerly homestead’. Archaeological evidence, including
fourteen gold coins discovered in a flint receptacle believed to be of Celtic origin
as well as remnants of Roman roads and forts, indicates that settlers inhabited the
area around the town of Westerham long before the arrival of the Normans in the 11th
century. Earl Godwin and later his son, Harold, the last Saxon King of England, ruled
Westerham prior to the Norman Conquest in 1066. Shortly thereafter Eustace II of
Boulogne became the first Norman lord of Westerham, and in 1086, the town appeared
in the Domesday Book, in a Norman form, as ‘Oistreham’.
In 1227, Henry III, granted
Westerham a market charter, enabling the towns’ tradesmen to emerge as key participants
in the Kentish livestock trade during the middle ages. At the time, cattle provided
the bulk of the meat consumed in medieval cities, and livestock production in Westerham
helped make meat more widely available in London markets.
Westerham’s closeness to
the Weald of Kent and ‘very pleasant’ situation, in the words of 19th century handbook
writer Richard King, at the foot of the North Downs along the river Darent, have
continued to attract new residents and nature-loving visitors to the town and its
surrounds over the centuries. For nature admirers, no visit to Westerham would be
complete without an outing to the National Trust’s Toys Hill estate, located 1 mile
east of Westerham via French Street. Covering over 200 acres of woodland, Toys Hill
is situated on the highest point on the Greensand Ridge in Kent with a view over
the four counties of Kent, Surrey, East Sussex and West Sussex.
Also, certainly worth
a visit are the lovely Charts Edge Gardens on B2026, only 0.6 mile south of Westerham
off the A25 and open to the public from mid-April through mid-September. Charts Edge
features a rock garden, a Victorian folly and water cascade, rhododendrons, azaleas,
magnolias and many rare plants, with exceptional views over the North Downs.
Popular
Attractions in Westerham
Quebec House
Located at the eastern entrance to Westerham
in Quebec Square, this low-ceilinged, appealing 17th century house is a living monument
to Major-General James Wolfe, who lived there as a child. Born in Westerham in 1726,
Wolfe achieved international fame as the British military commander who led the siege
and capture of Quebec from French forces in September 1759 during the Seven Years’
War (1756-63). Memorabilia relating to his life, career and family are on display
inside the paneled rooms; outside the red brick house, in the Tudor stable block,
is an exhibition about Wolfe’s leadership and demise at the Battle of Quebec. ‘Here
he singly, and alone in opinion, formed that great, hazardous, but necessary plan
of operation, which drew out the French to their defeat, and ensured the conquest
of Canada’.
Squerryes Court
Situated to the south of central Westerham, off Westerham
Road, are the house and gardens of Squerryes Court, long owned by the Warde family.
In one form or another, a house has stood on this site for 800 years. Built in the
late 17th century, the current house features elegant rooms, furniture, porcelain,
tapestries and oil paintings acquired and used by the Wardes since the 18th century.
An Emma exhibition is also on display at the moment, showcasing the costumes used
in the 2009 BBC production of Emma and highlighting Jane Austen’s connections to
West Kent. The gardens, recently restored based on 18th century plans, offer spring
bulbs, roses and herbaceous borders.
Church of St Mary the Virgin
The parish church
of St Mary’s stands directly on the edge of the village green, and dates back over
800 years. Built of Kentish ragstone, St Mary’s exhibits a 12th century tower, walls
from the 13th and 14th centuries, and 16th century small brasses with 17th and 18th
century memorial tables. Additional changes to the primary structure were made in
the 15th and 19th centuries. Of special interest is the 14th century font, which
has witnessed the baptism of many illustrious persons including General Wolfe, John
Frith, who assisted William Tyndale to translate the Bible before his untimely execution
in 1533, and Winston Churchill’s grandson.
The Village Green
This is an ideal starting
point for a walking tour of Westerham, the west end of the pretty village green holds
a statue of General Wolfe, erected in 1911 and designed by Derwent Wood ARA. On the
east end, past old shops and the 16th century Grasshopper Inn and towards St Mary’s,
sits a modern bronze casting of Sir Winston Churchill, sculpted by Oscar Nemon after
the Second World War.
The Tower
Roofless and crumbling, with round arched windows,
this whimsical two-storey 18th century tower, offers an excellent example of extravagant
follies of the period. Built by the wealthy as playthings and odes to the classical
ruined structures often seen by well-to-do gentlemen on The Grand Tour in the 17th
century, follies became a regular feature of English garden and landscape design
in the 18th century. Mock ancient temples, fake gothic ruins, and faux medieval towers
dotted the landscape of many grand English houses before the decline of follies in
the 19th century.
The George and Dragon Inn
Originally built in the 16th century
as a stopover for travelers on their way to London, this Grade II, timber-framed
coaching house has served the likes of such famous personalities as General Wolfe,
William Pitt (the Younger), and Sir Winston Churchill. In addition to enjoying the
traditional ambience and ales and home-cooked food on offer by the present owners,
look for the plaque commemorating General Wolfe’s last stay at the Inn in December
1758.
*Seasonal opening times and admission prices should be checked before making
a special trip to Westerham.
