Bentley Priory

[Trojan1981]

I will be in London in early September and would like (if possible) to visit Bentley Priory. Does anyone know if it is open to the public?

[taxydual]

You may be out of luck. BP is having problems since MoD sold it off.

Battle of Britain museum at Bentley Priory under threat amid downturn - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/defence/5070892/Battle-of-Britain-museum-at-Bentley-Priory-under-threat-amid-downturn.html)

Shame really.

[BEagle]

It should be sold to the government and the apartments used to house MPs so that they won't need to claim taxpayers' money for fraudulent expense claims...:mad:

Who knows, some of them might even find out that we have a military history.

'Mothballing' the building? That is doublespeak for 'letting it rot'. It will attract hoodies and other low life who will wreck the place unless it is occupied.

Alternatively, why not use it to house MoD personnel who have to work in London?

[thefodfather]

You might be able to arrange a visit through the Bentley Priory Battle of Britain Heritage Trust, link enclosed.

[URL="http://www.bentleypriory.org/aboutus/aboutus.php?page_id=4"]

[cazatou]

I don't know about BP but the HQ 11 Gp Operations Bunker and its Control Room at RAF Uxbridge are open to the Public "In limited numbers". Try MOD Air PR Branch by e-mail. Good Luck!!

[Monkey Madness]

The tour of the 11 Group bunker is very good indeed. :ok:

Hazel Crozier is the curator (and a very nice lady indeed). She can be contacted on 01895 815400 if you would like to arrange a a visit. :)

MM

[Erica F]

I work with the Bentley Priory Battle of Britain Trust and we are commited to opening a 'Spirit of Leadership' Museum at BP. Sadly the current recession has put the sale of the site on hold but when things pick up we have an excellent planning deal that means that for a project worth approx £13M we need only to raise £2.5M. A bid to the lottery is already to go, but we need the sale so we can provide the leases etc to back up the bid. In the meantime we are running events to open the important building and its grounds to the public. We are open for Heritage Open Days from 10-13 Sep, with a special veterans afternoon on the Thursday. The weekends will include reenactors and displays from the 1940s, family activities, music and a cafe service. Entry is free. For more details please see www.bentleypriory.org (http://www.bentleypriory.org). If these dates don't suit let me know as I also arrange bespoke tours in return for a small donation to cover costs. Hope this helps

[dunc0936]

The Uxbridge bunker is a great place to visit, visited there a number of yrs ago, photo's here UK Cold War: A history of coldwar sites around the UK (http://www.ukcoldwar.org.uk/rafuxbridge.asp)

Whats the inside of the uxbridge bunker like these days? is this still in MOD hands??

Duncan

That was meant to say the Bently Priory Bunker, not the uxbridge bunker

Duncan

[Trojan1981]

Thank you very much for all the replies. I will be in touch.
Cheers:ok:

[Blacksheep]

Whats the inside of the uxbridge bunker like these days? is this still in MOD hands??For the time being; but Hillingdon Council have development plans (http://www.hillingdon.gov.uk/index.jsp?articleid=15466)for the site. The bunker itself is, fortunately, a Grade 1 listed building with Hillingdon House and the old Astra being Grade II.

[Brianf127]

The Battle of Britain Commemorative Lace Panel from Bentley Priory is in storage at Hendon.

[Toddington Ted]

Other than its pivotal role during WWII as HQ Fighter Command, I know embarrassingly (shamefully as an ex-RAF officer) little about the history of RAF Bentley Priory except that I presume the grand house itself was not built for the RAF originally! I'm going to have to spend some of this wet sunday trawling for some info. However, I do know that some properties were commandeered for use by the military in wartime whilst other sites (such as RAF Halton) were purchased outright (regardless of the myth surrounding that station). I will have a good search on t'net but if anyone has any good references then I'd be happy for a steer.

[pasir]

... The future of BP does not bode well if the conditions of
the large RAF site and building at Biggin Hill - Grade II listed ! - are anything to go by.

For reasons unknown the Biggin Hill former RAF station was sold to a well known multi millionaire who to date has shown little interest other than
to allow the buildings to deteriate.

...

[PPRuNe Pop]

Not unknown at all. He bought it some years ago. His name is Bernie Ecclestone of F1 fame. No doubt as some kind of tax loss.

[Ned Parsnip]

Other than its pivotal role during WWII as HQ Fighter Command, I know embarrassingly (shamefully as an ex-RAF officer) little about the history of RAF Bentley Priory except that I presume the grand house itself was not built for the RAF originally! Originally built in 1766, Bentley Priory was significantly extended in 1788, by Sir John Soane (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_John_Soane), for John Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Abercorn (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hamilton,_1st_Marquess_of_Abercorn). The priory was the final home of the Dowager Queen Adelaide (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adelaide_of_Saxe-Meiningen), queen consort of William IV (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_IV_of_the_United_Kingdom), before her death there in 1849. It subsequently served as a hotel and girls' school before being acquired by the Royal Air Force in 1926.Much more history here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Bentley_Priory)TT.

And more current news which you've probably seen The country house from where RAF chiefs commanded “The Few” during the Second World War is to be converted into a Battle of Britain museum, after a five-year campaign. (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/world-war-2/battle-of-britain/8006700/Bentley-Priory-to-be-converted-into-Battle-of-Britain-museum.html)
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01374/bentley-priory-mus_1374427c.jpg

:ok:

[Toddington Ted]

Many thanks Ned; I have been able to find some information on the site but your info will be useful; I was interested to find that Bentley Priory has been in RAF hands rather longer than I thought and also that, like Halton, it was purchased outright and not "commandeered" for wartime use.
Whilst watching a programme about Titanic's anchor last night (more interesting than the title might suggest!) I recall an fashion advertisement to the tune of "those boots were made for walking" using what would seem to be Bentley Priory, it certainly looked like the place to me.