Home of heroes

For a small town with a population of merely 5,000, Westerham has had more than its fair share of famous links virtually since history gave it a name.
Lying between Godstone and Sevenoaks on the A25 towards the top of the river Darent valley, a settlement has been in this area from pre-Roman times, and earthworks can still be seen in Squerryes Park.
Westerham was recorded as Oistreham in the Domesday Book and, before the Norman Conquest, was held by Earl Godwin, the father of King Harold who was killed at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
William the Conqueror gave the lands to one of the knights said to have killed Harold, Earl Eustace of Bolougne, whose son Geoffrey de Boulogne later held them until they were transferred to the de Camville family in the early 1200s.
During the rebellion of Jack Cade in 1450, one Robert Poyntings led a number of locals in a riot in the village. Sir William Crowmer who was beheaded by Cade and had his head fixed to London Bridge, was the son of Margaret Squerryes, who lived in Westerham.

Squerryes Court
That name is an important one in the history of Westerham. As the centuries rolled on, many well-established families moved into the area, most notably the Warde family who have lived at the lovely country home of Squerryes Court since 1731. The Wardes still live there today and over the generations have faithfully served the community as well as the country. Last summer the family staged a magnificent celebration of their 275 years in residence in the magnificent grounds.
In 1727 an unassuming local lady gave birth to a baby boy whom she named James. He became a good friend of young George Warde and was a frequent visitor at Squerryes Court, which had the distinct attraction of a much bigger garden than his own at Quebec House – today owned by the National Trust.
James attended the local grammar school, where he developed a passion for a military career and, at the tender age of 14, was commissioned into the army. At 17 he was acting adjutant at the battle of Dettingen and just one year later had risen to the rank of lieutenant colonel.
By the time he was 32, with a string of successful campaigns under his belt, James had reached the rank of major general. But his career was cut brutally short in 1759 when, during a daring assault on the heights of Abraham at Quebec in Canada, James was dropped by a French musket ball, Quebec was captured but Britain had lost one of its most revered military leaders.

Standing proudly
Today when you visit Westerham you cannot avoid the memory of James Wolfe with many streets and buildings named after the great man, culminating with an exquisite statue, sculpted by F. Derwent Wood that stands proudly on the village green, next to that of another famous son.
In 1922 a certain Winston Churchill MP and his wife Clementine purchased Chartwell Manor on the outskirts of Westerham, the year in which their fifth child was born. They lived right through some of the nation’s darkest hours and Churchill once stood on the village green, where he rallied the locals to stand firm in light of the difficult times that lay ahead in the early 1940s.
Chartwell was given to the National Trust in 1946 and opened to visitors in 1966 - the year after Churchill's death at the age of 90. After his death in 1965 a statue was unveiled in his memory, executed by Oscar Nemon and standing on a base of Yugoslavian stone, the gift of Marshal Tito that, along with James Wolfe, bears homage to this pair of historical giants.

Winston Churchill once stood on the village green, where he rallied the locals to stand firm

Today, Westerham is an extremely pretty small town with a village green surrounded by old shops and buildings that are a mixture of mediaeval and Georgian in origin. They are overlooked by the parish church of St Mary the Virgin, thought to date from the 13th century, although much altered in Victorian times
The number of pubs is testimony to the many breweries that sprang up here in the Victorian era, thanks to the village being surrounded by hop gardens - look out for the black and white timbered George & Dragon, the General Wolfe and the imposing King’s Arms Hotel.
In the 1900s these hostelries were instrumental in making Westerham an important coaching stop for weary travellers commuting between London and the Kent coast.
But if you don’t fancy going to the pub for refreshment, there are plenty of alternatives, from tonic, the trendy young lounge and sushi bar, to Food for Thought (good cream teas), Osteria Pizzeria for the best pizzas for miles and the ever-popular Rendevous. On the Squerryes edge of town you’ll find Indian restaurant Kinara at Pitts Cottage, the 12th-century cottage used by William Pitt as a country retreat.

Tempting offerings
Like neighbouring villages Brasted and Sundridge, this is antiques country and visitors should make a point of checking out the tempting offerings at The Design Gallery, Clementines and The Green Antiques – or, for something more up to date for the home, try Esprit, Lavender and Linen Interiors or Chelsea House Interiors.
And if you are interested in fashion and want something a little bit different from the high street’s offerings, then Westerham has some excellent independents, including Entre Nous for lingerie, Prelude (ladies’ fashions) and Hopps Boutique in The Courtyard.
Add in an excellent local butcher, greengrocer and small Co-op and you really do have a self-sufficient, thriving community with plenty to offer the many thousands of visitors that flock every year to see Westerham’s three great treasures: Chartwell, Squerryes Court and Quebec House.

Words by Sarah Sturt, pictures by Rob Turner and Dave Cosens

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