An historic house in West Kent with 400 years of history and a collection of Ancient Egyptian, Japanese, Jacobite and Stuart, and Buddhist objects.
Chiddingstone Castle has Tudor origins, Victorian rooms and was remodelled in the 19th century to resemble a medieval castle. It has been owned and lived in by an eclectic mix of people: the Streatfeild family, Lord Astor, military forces during WWII, Long Dene School and the collector Denys Eyre Bower.
In 1955, Bower bought Chiddingstone Castle to house his extensive collections of art and antiquities. His dream was to share his collections with the nation and to preserve them for future generations. After his death in 1977, a charitable trust was set up to honour his wish.
Cream Tea may not be as picture above.