Chartwell & Scotney Castle - Kent Road Trip - Americans Driving through England

In this final installment of my KENT ROAD TRIP series, we take you to visit Chartwell House & Gardens… the family home of Winston & Clementine Churchill. After that we visit the fascinating Scotney Castle. This is unlike any other castle we have visited. See the beautiful old castle which has been artistically “ruined” as well as the stately manor home overlooking it on the top of the hill. But before we get to either of those places… let’s being in the Kentish village of Lamberhurst! Thanks for coming along on our adventures through Kent!
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Cheers! XX Dara (and Ian)
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Chapters in this video:
0:00 Intro
0:04 Lamberhurst
1:43 Scotney Castle
9:16 Chartwell House & Gardens
Important video links:
Blenheim Palace vlog from Oxfordshire - • Blenheim Palace & the ...
Leeds Castle - • Leeds Castle - Kent Ro...
Hever Castle - • Hever Castle -Home of ...
Canterbury City and Cathedral - • Canterbury Cathedral &...
Arundel Castle - • Arundel Castle #engla...
Bodiam Castle & Great Dixter - • Bodiam Castle, Great D...
The Cow Shed where we stayed in Kent - • Tour of the Cowshed in...
Kent and Sussex Road Trip Playlist - • Kent and Sussex Vlogs

[@GENerationXplorers]

Mmm.love cherries! And lavender! Wow that is some land for the castle, must be very self sufficient. Very romantic gardens and views. Country Life, great magazine and a wonderful tour of the well kept grounds. Yay Churchills Chartwell. Thats a huge rhubarb! Back in the day when politicians stood for something! Great to see him painting, wonderful shots. Lovely walled garden. Love the Nicknames. Let’s hope that nobody ever is making a youtube film about where Rishi lived in fifty years time. Cough, cough, im making one in a couple of weeks time but I hope it’s the first and last he ever gets!

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Thanks for watching my final Kent road trip video of a few of the enjoyable things we experienced whilst there... from quirky old purposely-ruined castles to cherries to lavender and giant rhubarb! I loved the animal nicknames that the Churchills had for each other. I don't think I want to know what nicknames you have for Rishi LOL! But I do look forward to your video!!! Cheers! XX Dara P.S. Fun fact: RS and I have degrees from the same university ;-)

[@pershorefoodbanktrusselltr3632]

This is definitely Pop Larkin country, makes me want to watch ‘The darling buds of May’ series again. I love Kent.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

It was my first time exploring it, but I'm a big fan!

[@The_Brit_Girls]

LOVED the very interesting fact about having to have an archaeologist present if you dig deeper than 30 cm in the garden! How cool is that?! 😎

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Not sure I'll need to know that personally... I don't have a ruined medieval castle in MY back garden! LOL

[@sidney4329]

Yay Kent, my ancestral homeland!

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

It is such a lovely place! This is the final installment in my road trip series. I hope you check out some of the other videos if you are interested in Kent😉

[@The_Brit_Girls]

Hi Dara & Ian! Yay, a Devil's Door pic! What gorgeous gardens and fabulous castles. So charming and picturesque. What a treat to see Churchill's Chartwell! It was fascinating to see the photographs and paintings. A beautifully filmed and narrated vlog ❤

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Well done saying charming and picturesque... NOT cute and quaint ;-) LOL!

[@Poliss95]

Wot wot wot? Have I overslept and it's 4.00 o'clock on Friday????

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Surprise Tuesday upload... at 3pm! 🙄

[@JohnandCaraRetiredTravellers]

Scotney home and castle were beautiful love the gardens and history. I am so curious about Churchill. What a wonderful visit to his home. He was so much more than a politician so creative in many ways. Thank you for taking us along and showing us what we may never experience. 🩷~Cara

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Churchill was a brilliant man and a very colourful character. His legacy is a bit complicated, as he is known for some famously good decisions during World War II as well as some not so complementary aspects to his personality 😉. But I have enjoyed visiting his homes and learning about him and his family legacy. Thanks for watching! Dara

[@JohnandCaraRetiredTravellers]

@@MagentaOtterTravels I agree he was brilliant and I think he was the perfect man at the time. I’m happy he had a creative outlet upmost his stressful political decisions. Great video Dara 🩷🌺~Cara

[@da90sReAlvloc]

Great video Dara. You really do have a artistic eye , some of the scenery you show on the videos show that and the way you get the shots, I bet you would be a good painter if you tried, And Churchill what a guy he was no angel he was no demon either , he was a flawed guy. But if he hadn't drove my people to fight on during the war. Britain may have looked different, Like my grandad said (he was in the home guard) Churchill was the right man at the right time, Great video Dara. You and Ian stay safe 👍

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Thank you for your kind words. I'm not sure that I'd be a good painter, but I do enjoy filming and photographing the delightful places I explore! I agree that Churchill was not a saint, but he did help Britain navigate a very difficult time during WW2. All the best to you, James. Cheers! Dara

[@TravelingTramps]

We enjoyed the continuation of your trip, Dara and Ian. St. Mary is a lovely church and the castle stunning and a gorgeous house. I can see why the gardens are called romantic and we loved them. Also loved visiting the home of whom I believe is the greatest leader of the 20th century. I won't mention my favorite quote but suffice it to say it was hilarious and said after he had a few! 🤣🤣 Thanks for bringing us along.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Oh yes, Churchill had some very colourful quotes! The one about how "tomorrow I will be sober, but you will still be ugly" comes to mind...

[@TravelingTramps]

That's the one that came to mind for me!@@MagentaOtterTravels

[@davidjones332]

I believe the flag you noticed was that of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, one of the honorary titles Churchill was granted in later life. Another bit of trivia for you: when Chartwell was given to the National Trust, one condition was that there should always be a marmalade cat living in the house, continuing a family tradition.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Oh, that is so interesting about the cat! Now that you mention it, I remember a tour guide telling that story. How fun! It's a coincidence that I did this vlog of Chartwell with Scotney Castle, because Scotney Castle had a lot of cat imagery... obviously some cat lovers lived there as well!

[@trytellingthetruth.2068]

Lamberhurst is known for its iron ore, which was used to make among other things the cast iron railings for St Paul's Cathedral. An example of the railings can be found outside the village hall.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Oh wow! That's a fun fact! 🤓

[@nicksykes4575]

Hi Dara, a couple of facts about Churchill, he was also a keen bricklayer, and many of the garden walls at Chartwell were built by him personally. On the subject of pets, he was also very fond of parrots, there're many photos of him with parrots. One Blue and Gold Macaw he had during WW2, (Which he taught too say, "f--k the N-zis.) Was still alive at a bird sanctuary in Sussex well into the 2000s. the last I heard it was celebrating it's 105th birthday.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Those are very interesting facts! 🤓 And yes, it's incredible how old parrots can live to be! 🦜

[@richardjames3022]

It reminds me of how long ago it was that I last went to Chartwell & Scotney Castle. I must go again soon, but now live some way a way

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

They are both very interesting places to tour! Hopefully you can manage a holiday in Kent one of these days 😉

[@ShaneNixonFamily]

Back from my tour of 'Nam, which incidentally means something completely different to to what it did 50 years ago, and now back into serious catch-up on videos I've missed mode... Beautiful places with fascinating histories. Interesting seeing these little vignettes of Winston and Clementine's lives. Interesting picture at 8:09. Very magenta. 😁

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

I'd like to hear more about what it was like in Vietnam and what discussions you had with people about the war. It really WAS interesting learning about Winston and Clementine and their family. I'm neutral on Churchill... not a huge fan or hater. But I always enjoy learning about people! Yes, that was a lovely painting of the room in which the picture hung! Fun to see it capture an image of what the room and the former occupant looked like. Cheers for playing catch up, Shane! Always nice to hear from you ;-)

[@ShaneNixonFamily]

@@MagentaOtterTravels interestingly the war rarely came up. I did talk to people about relatives that had made the boat trip to Australia after the war. Thousands upon thousands refugees made the trip south. One guy I spoke to said both his uncles live in Australia after coming here as refugees. Many people on the boats died before making it here. We have huge Vietnamese communities in Australia. Many local bakeries are Vietnamese for example. As far as the "American" War, as they call it, goes there are memorials and museums to visit. I wish I'd done more but it wasn't that type of trip. I will go back. I would love to visit the DMZ for example. Even places we did visit, My Son (hindu temple site), they have preserved the bomb craters. You see lots of jeep tours. The Chi Chi tunnels in the Mekong are a popular tourist attraction. The Viet Cong used the tunnels as a base. We went to Cat Ba Island where there was a huge cave that had been converted to a hospital during the war. All the souvenir shops have Vietnamese pith helmets and red star caps for sale. There are places that sell old communist propaganda posters. Speaking of communist, you'd never know that you're in a communist country. Private businesses and banks thrive, advertising is everywhere, American fast food, designer label shops. I rarely saw cops - it is a very safe place to visit. In fact on our last day we came out of the markets and there was a cop ticketing a driver. We just had not seen that anywhere. Having said that there are parts of the country where if you do the wrong thing as a tourist, ride a motorcycle without a licence for example, you can donate coffee money to the cop to avoid drama. 😂 Ps there are some was sites that they have rules about visiting. The site of one Aussie battle, Long Tan, can be visited but you can't bring flags or memorabilia. No ceremonies. You have to be respectful. Which is understandable considering I think a company of Aussies, about 100 men, took between 1000 and 1500 Vietnamese casualties for the loss of about 20.

[@wencireone]

I was in Kent today, a trip to Dover and back for work, I saw a bit of Dover Castle as I went by, but mostly rain

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

I hate driving in the rain! But I do want to see Dover Castle one day...

[@griswald7156]

@@MagentaOtterTravelsDover Castle is my favourite favourite Daz…be sure to lunch in the refectory..

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

@@griswald7156 thanks for the suggestion!

[@alisonwilliams-bailey3561]

Grew up going to Scotney Castle with my family as from Rusthall near Tunbridge Wells. And were members of National Trust.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

How lovely to grow up in that area! Packed with amazing historical sites to visit! We love making VERY good use of our National Trust memberships ;-)

[@ngoodwin101]

Thanks so much for sharing much appreciated ❤ senting love from the 🇬🇧

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

You are so welcome 🤗

[@chrisjones2224]

But did you find any brick walls Churchill built? He was a qualified member of the Amalgamated Union of Bricklayers and at Chartwell, he laid a brick wall around the vegetable garden with a trowel in one hand and a cigar in the other. He also built a swimming pool and a goldfish pond.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

I'm sure I did see a while he built, but I'm not sure which one it was 🤣... he certainly loved cigars! I'm not surprised he built walls while smoking a cigar. Pretty much every photo taken of him painting shows a cigar in his mouth! I wonder if the paint always had cigar ash in it? 🧐

[@Andy_U]

Hiya. Once again, you've transported me away from the grey and gloom outside my windows with the coverage of Scotney Castle and Gardens. Thank you. Stay safe. All the best to you.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Thanks for watching! I'm glad we could enjoy a wee slice of summer together 🤗

[@PostcardAndAPint]

Playing catch up. Wow lavender and rosemary - what a scented garden! What a beautiful place. It looks almost French from some angles. It's amazing inside.

[@PostcardAndAPint]

Sorry posted before we finished watching. The gardens are amazing, kitchen gardens are amazing. Wow the people who visited there. Amazing 🍻

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

@@PostcardAndAPint bless you for attempting to catch up! I have been doing a terrible job of watching friends' videos lately! Chartwell and Scotney Castle were two more really intriguing places to visit in Kent. Both well worth a visit! XX

[@paulguise698]

Hiya Dara, Americanisms Brits hate has 5 thousand 3 hundred views, I'm totally in shock, about the school system in U.K and U.S you should do a colab with the Brit Girls, the daughter is a little younger than me, she probably know about more modern times, I enjoyed this vlog about Churchills home, the Churchill family were like Minor Royals, they knew George 5h+ 6th and Queen Elizabeth 2nd, this is Choppy in Whitehaven, Cumbria, England

[@lizbignell7813]

I loved the cat on the edge of the pond.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

They definitely had cat lovers living there!

[@lizbignell7813]

It said in The Times today that coaches are going to be banned from Bourton-on-the Water next year. They will have to park outside the village so everyone will have to walk!

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

@@lizbignell7813 wow, that is big news! But honestly, I'm glad to hear it 😉

[@lizbignell7813]

I thought it might interest you.

[@JimsKitschKitchen]

Now that is some humongous rhubarb!!!! I do remember visiting both spots- I miss national trust/English heritage

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Haha I didn't even think of this when I watched your video yesterday! THAT rhubarb would make some impossibly huge impossible pie 🥧!! Are you headed to England any time this year?

[@JimsKitschKitchen]

@@MagentaOtterTravels yes we will be there in July - going to meet with black cat kitchen when down there!!! Going to wales!!! Kieron’s sister doing the itinerary/ lots of family visits!

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

@@JimsKitschKitchen let me know when you are meeting Dani! I would love to meet you both in person as well! But we are entertaining visitors until mid July...

[@IamaDutch-Kiwi]

Dara, first before I forget ( again) I recall your excitement when you hit the 5k subscribers, you must be double that excited now. Congratulations, great achievement passing to 10k. Right, loved the close up of the roof tiles and the Magenta sweet pea flowers. I love lots more but thought I'd highlight those. 🩷Lamberhurst was worth stopping for. Scotney Castle Amazing @2:46+ and the grounds beautiful. If walls could speak. Even the crumbly ones. Love the reflection of the castle in the water. Loved all the cats- dislike all the ad interruptions. Beautiful interior. Have you seen the movie Churchill. I loved it. Lovely to know even more about him now. More gorgeous gardens. Dara and Ian, that was some series. Love Kent. Am grateful that you shared it. Looking forward to your next 'menu' of the UK. 🩷🇳🇱🙋‍♀🇳🇿🦘

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

I hope you are enjoying being reunited with your family and are on your way to overcoming jetlag! Thanks for watching!! Yes, I was so chuffed to reach 10K! Quite a milestone for me! Yes, since KZbin has changed their ad insertion approach it seems they have WAY more ads!!! I have seen the Churchill movie and found it very interesting. I have enjoyed visiting both of his homes and learning a bit more about his life. He was a colourful character!! I REALLY was intrigued by Scotney Castle. Can you imagine having a falling down medieval castle as a feature in your garden?!?! Just incredible.

[@elizabetherwin1315]

Oh, dash it!!! I typed an entire paragraph when the internet connection went down and I lost it all. Oh, well. Went to discover how Marigold Frances Churchill passed on and found this. "How did Marigold Churchill die? Marigold Churchill died of septicemia on August 23, 1921. Prior to her death, Marigold was under the care of her French governess in the town of Broadstairs on the southeastern coast of England. Winston Churchill was away in Scotland and his wife Clementine was accompanying him. Marigold was suffering from cough and cold for six months which appears to have developed first into a bacterial infection and then septicemia. Winston Churchill was not at her daughter’s bedside at the time of her death."

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Oh my goodness, that is horribly sad! The poor thing suffered for months on end, and I'm sure her parents were absolutely gutted that they weren't with her in her final hours!!!😭💔

[@shanewaterman4125]

Again, somewhere within spitting distance of me - Scotney Castle. Not sure where you got the figure of being able to dig to 30cm without an archaeologist?? You can't f**t near listed or preservation order protected buildings! Next time you visit, take in Sissinghurst and Great Dixter which are both nearby. Did you not visit Lamberhurst vineyard? Some extremely good wines from there. You must let us know if you're doing this again this summer - there's a number of us 'local yokels' who can take you to some much more hidden gems around Kent.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

We did not visit Lambert Hearst Vineyard because we don't drink, and we were already trying to pack in way too much that day! I did talk about the vineyards, but I think that part of the footage got edited out. Shane, if you send me an email to [e-mail], I will be able to contact you before our next trip to Kent . We actually did visit both Great Dixter and Sissinghurst! Here are the video links Sissinghurst - kzbin.info/www/bejne/gIjao3qIiMeNj6csi=E9cFzvjYXqtHSauy Great Dixter - kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3yuXqKteaqbqacsi=M5RbUuzSnqoKqXkK

[@Nick_r]

On this Sussex & Kent excursion, I think the two of you have proved the value of a National Trust annual membership. Which reminds me to buy an English Heritage one.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

If we lived in Britain and worked full time, or lived in the states and only had two weeks holiday... it would not be worth it. But we are blessed to be able to wander around the UK for 4 or 5 months... so we REALLY get our money's worth on the National Trust and Historic Houses memberships!! I like HH better than English Heritage... they have some amazing places! Like Bamburgh Castle for example 😉

[@Nick_r]

@@MagentaOtterTravels I’m retired so similar to you. EH has properties more local to me like Pevensey Castle and Battle Abbey but I’ll take another look at HH. Our daughter has just had her first child so we are spending more time in Yorkshire where it might be worth it. Thanks for the suggestion :-)

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

@@Nick_r congratulations! That will be fun to go visit and see your grandbaby! Yorkshire has Norton Conyers and Markenfield Hall (with a moat!) and Newby Hall and Allerton Castle and many more fun HH places.

[@Nick_r]

@@MagentaOtterTravels Indeed so, she is near Huddersfield so sort of in the middle and not far from most places. Lake District is not far, same with Peak District, I’ll have dekko at the places you mentioned as not familiar with them 👍

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

@@Nick_r that is an absolutely gorgeous area to live in!

[@wencireone]

I knew you'd make it on Broadway eventually 😂

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

It didn't have as many bright lights as I expected!

[@wencireone]

@@MagentaOtterTravels should have went at night time

[@Poliss95]

@MagentaOtterTravels Tree at 3:54. There was an item about them on BBC Radio 5 Live today. There are over half a million giant redwoods (Sequoiadendron giganteum) in the UK today while there are only 80,000 in their native California. Ours are just babies of course being only about 160 years old. Come back in 1500 years time to see if they get as big as the ones in California. I think this is definitive proof that the BBC are avid watchers of this channel. 😁😁

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Oh yes, I'm sure the BBC is just hanging on my every word! LOL That is astonishing about the number of Redwoods in Britain! We saw lovely ones in Westonbirt Arboretum as well. We are looking forward to returning there in May!

[@wencireone]

I use to live in a place called Chartwell Green !

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

No relation I assume 😉

[@wencireone]

@@MagentaOtterTravels no, nor to the place either

[@jeanlongsden1696]

"Sith word is Thral" sounds like a Star Wars reference.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

Yes it does! 😆👹

[@Poliss95]

I see you missed the obvious Star Wars pun. 😁 Walled gardens. I just love 'em. I don't think I've ever eaten asparagus. I'm a bit worried about the side effect. 🤢 I'll have to make the other kind of rhubarb crumble soon.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

What is the Star Wars pun?

[@Poliss95]

@@MagentaOtterTravels 8:52. Where Darth Vader was born this must be.' 🧛‍♂😁

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

@@Poliss95 haha yes!

[@The_Brit_Girls]

Only just this week I heard another KZbinr (a Canadian) pronounce "Dahlia" as "Dah-Lia". I'd never heard it pronounced that way before. In the UK we tend to say "Day-Lia". The way it is spelt does lend itself more to your pronunciation. Interesting 🤔

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

I just learnt that as well! I guess now I'll have to say it both ways ;-)

[@peterwimsey5904]

named after the Swedish botanist Anders Dahl

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

@@peterwimsey5904 well then it should be Dah not Day - Lia right?

[@peterwimsey5904]

I guess so. I expect most people pronounce fuchsia as "fewshea" but its named after the German botanist Leonhart Fuchs which would suggest "fooksia" ? @@MagentaOtterTravels

[@jimgerace]

I would appreciate some advice. I am planning on visiting the Cotswolds for 5 days this June. I have watched your videos and in addition to the out of the way villages that you recommend, I am also planning on seeing Bradford on Avon, Chipping Campden, Castle Combe, Stanton, Stratford on Avon. Would you recommend staying in one or two towns? And what towns would you recommend? Thank you in advance.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

If you are driving a car, I think staying in Stanton would be delightful! I would not stay in Castle Combe because it is not near most of the other Cotswold places.

[@jimgerace]

@@MagentaOtterTravels Thanks, Would you suggest I spend all 5 nights there, or another village as well? Also, any recommendations as to B&B's?

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

@@jimgerace I don't have specific B&B recommendations, sorry. Whether you stay in one place or split it up is really a personal preference based on how you like to travel.

[@BeckyPoleninja]

Another word difference .UK say Day-lia not Dar-lia 😊

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

I didn't know that!

[@starsailor6716]

Unfortunately Kent is turning into the patio of England.

[@MagentaOtterTravels]

?? Explain please