Churchill's butterfly house lives on

But now the National Trust has recreated his efforts to breed butterflies at what was his family home, Chartwell, in Kent.

The trust has re-established the butterfly house Churchill set up in the 1940s in a converted summerhouse and the first insects for more than 50 years emerged this summer.

According to National Trust conservation advisor Matthew Oates, in 1939 "just as the storm clouds were gathering over the world", Churchill telephoned butterfly breeding expert L Hugh Newman for advice on setting up a butterfly house to breed and release the insects in the garden.

After the war was won the summerhouse was converted with muslin over the door and a bench installed for the breeding cages in which caterpillars and pupae develop.

Now visitors to Chartwell can again see the butterfly house, walk along the butterfly walk and follow in the footsteps of guests at famous garden parties.