Featuring giant redwood / giant sequoia and dawn redwood. Verified occurrence recorded by Redwood World. It is difficult to think of a more appropriate place for a strong and steadfast tree than Chartwell House in Westerham. Chartwell was the family home of Winston Churchill from 1922 until his death in 1965. The house is situated 2 miles south of Westerham in Kent off the B2026 road. Churchill loved the house, and its marvellous view over the Weald of Kent. He and his wife Clementine did much to improve what was originally a rather gloomy old Victorian place. He created new lakes, and built robust brick walls with his own hands. More importantly, though, the gardens are home to two marvellous Giant Redwood trees, close to a lake. Nearby can be found a number of young Dawn Redwood trees, with a Swamp Cypress also just a few yards away. An interesting point to note is how similar these two types of trees appear. A close inspection is needed to tell them apart, but the decisive difference is in the arrangement of the tiny leaflets. The leaflets are opposing on the Dawn Redwood ( Metasequoia glyptostroboides ), but are alternately spaced on the Swamp Cypress ( Taxodium distichum ). The grounds are also home to another peculiar tree, the Japanese Cedar ( Cryptomeria japonica ). This tree has foliage that is a little like the Giant Redwood, and the largest example at Chartwell has an overall shape and appearance deceptively like a young Giant Redwood as well.
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- Access unknown
- Last verified
- 10 Apr 2026
- Official site
- redwoodworld.co.uk/picturepages/westerham.htm
Redwood species here
Native to the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, giant sequoias were introduced to Britain in the 1850s during the Victorian plant-collecting era. They are the world's most massive trees by volume and have thrived in the UK's mild, wet climate, often growing faster than in parts of their native range. Many Victorian-era plantings now rival mature specimens in California.
Present. Native to the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, giant sequoias were introduced to Britain in the 1850s during the Victorian plant-collecting era. They are the world's most massive trees by volume
Dawn redwood is a deciduous redwood from China, known from fossils before living trees were documented in the 1940s. It reached British collections soon afterwards and is now found in parks, botanic gardens, and arboreta, where its soft summer foliage and rusty autumn colour make it distinct from evergreen giant sequoias and coast redwoods.
Present. A deciduous conifer thought to be extinct until rediscovered in a remote Chinese province in 1941. Seeds were distributed to botanical gardens worldwide in the late 1940s. Unlike its evergreen relativ
About this place
About Westerham - Chartwell House
Westerham - Chartwell House is located in Westerham, Kent, England.
Species Present
Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum)
Native to the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, giant sequoias were introduced to Britain in the 1850s during the Victorian plant-collecting era. They are the world's most massive trees by volume and have thrived in the UK's mild, wet climate, often growing faster than in their native range. Many Victorian-era plantings now rival mature specimens in California.
Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens)
The tallest trees on Earth, coast redwoods can exceed 100 metres in their native California. Less common in Britain than giant sequoias, they prefer sheltered, moist locations and can still reach impressive heights in the UK. The tallest known coast redwood in Britain is over 50 metres.
Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)
A deciduous conifer thought to be extinct until rediscovered in a remote Chinese province in 1941. Seeds were distributed to botanical gardens worldwide in the late 1940s. Unlike its evergreen relatives, the dawn redwood loses its needles in winter, turning a striking copper-bronze in autumn.
Data sourced from Redwood World (redwoodworld.co.uk) and enriched by Redwood Finder.