Ownership of Stations
Whenurhappy is absolutely correct. Lionel Rothschild was content to sell Halton House and its grounds to the Air Ministry because he wasn't a party animal like his uncle Alfred who died in 1918 (Halton House was built for Alfred by Cubitts in 1883 mainly for weekend use only) and he had little use for the place because "rhodedendrons don't grow well there" apparantly! (the Chilterns are of course Chalk, which the plant is not too keen on). Thread creep, sorry!