Churchill letters over house rebuild fetch £20,000

2 hours ago

Tanya GuptaSouth East

News image — Winston Churchill bought Chartwell for £5,000 in 1922, auctioneers said

National Trust / Chris Jonas Chartwell, a large, red brick country house in Kent, viewed from across a green lawn with sunset lighting. — Winston Churchill bought Chartwell for £5,000 in 1922, auctioneers said

A collection of letters from Sir Winston Churchill about the rebuilding and extension of his Kent home after he bought it in 1922 has fetched double its estimate and sold for £20,000 at auction

The archive contained correspondence between the former prime minister and architect Philip Tilden relating to the renovation of Chartwell, near Westerham.

Among the items were 13 typed letters from Churchill dating from December 1923 to November 1924, along with letters written on his behalf by secretaries, and correspondence from his wife, Clementine.

The archive, sold by London auctioneers Spink, was described as being of "great historical significance".

One of the earliest letters, dated 22 December 1923, included a small ink drawing by Churchill alongside instructions about alterations to a doorway leading to the kitchen wing.

The archive also contained letters from Churchill's wife, Clementine, concerning the ongoing building works, including concerns over costs and what she described as "an estimate which is quite enormous".

Another of her letters included a complaint about a cracked bidet in her bathroom.

Spink London

One letter said a cupboard sent from Devonshire was not worth the cost of repair

Another letter contained an ink sketch as part of discussions about a door

The collection comprised about 280 pages of invoices, plans, estimates and correspondence with contractors and suppliers involved in the project.

The auction house said Tilden and his practice managed the entire Chartwell project.

Records showed Churchill queried and challenged quotations, sought information about tax relief and monitored the progress of the work as Chartwell was transformed.

Companies involved in the project included builders, plumbers, heating engineers and flooring specialists.

Getty Images A black-and-white photograph shows Winston Churchill, with a cigar in his mouth, in a brimmed hat, heavy coat and work gloves placing roof tiles onto a pitched roof of a new cottage on the Chartwell estate in 1939. Rows of overlapping tiles and timber battens can be seen across the roof, with trees and countryside blurred in the background. — Winston Churchill laid tiles on a cottage roof during work on the estate in 1939

Churchill bought Chartwell in September 1922 for £5,000, auctioneers said.

The house was later acquired by the National Trust in 1946, with Winston and Clementine Churchill retaining a life tenancy.

The estate opened to the public in 1966, after Churchill died in 1965.

Getty Images A black-and-white photograph of the Churchill family taken in 1951 outside Chartwell shows Winston and Clementine Churchill with several children gathered around patterned outdoor seating on the Pink Terrace outside Mrs Churchill's sitting room. Brick walls, windows and part of the house exterior are visible in the background. — Winston and Clementine Churchill turned Chartwell into a family home

The archive which was auctioned on Wednesday had been estimated to sell for between £8,000 and £10,000.

Previous items owned by the wartime prime minister that have gone up for sale at auction have included a microphone, autographs, false teeth, a portrait, a suit and pocket watch, a cigar and other memorabilia.

Getty Images A black-and-white photograph shows four people seated on a stone terrace wall overlooking the grounds of the Chartwell country estate in 1939. From left to right are Clementine Churchill holding a fox cub reared on the estate, British MP Richard Law, French politician Léon Blum and Winston Churchill. Trees and open countryside are visible in the background, with lawn and stonework in the foreground. — The Churchills entertained Richard Law MP and French politician Léon Blum in 1939

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