Trent Park House of Secrets

27/05/2026

Socialite Sir Philip Sassoon had a passion for aircraft, purchasing his first aeroplane in 1919 and serving two terms as Under-Secretary of State for Air between the two World Wars. This photo is from the archives at Houghton Hall, part of a collection of photos from Sassoon’s visit to Italy in the 1920s.

21/05/2026

Our director recently spent an afternoon with the CAMEO group at Christ Church Cockfosters, talking about the story of Trent Park House of Secrets, the work currently underway, and what to expect when the museum opens.

CAMEO ("Come And Meet Each Other") is a long-running group that brings people together for talks and conversation. Thanks to Glenda Hunter for the invitation and to Ruth Taylor for the warm welcome.

One of the highlights was meeting Arthur, now in his 90s, who shared his boyhood memories of wartime Cockfosters — including encounters between local people and German prisoners of war held in the area. A good reminder of the living history right on our doorstep.

If you haven't explored Cockfosters, it's worth a visit - Chalk Lane in particular feels like it's from another era, and the church is only a 20-minute walk from Trent Park House. 🏛️

19/05/2026

A sneak peek at one of our sign painters busy at work down in the basement hand-painting a sign for what will become the Playback Room - where the Secret Listeners, the teams of mainly German-Jewish refugees hidden in the basement, sat to play back and transcribe the Generals' chatter from the rooms above.

You'll have to come and visit us when we open to discover what the fully restored room will look and feel like!

15/05/2026

Great to see Londonist include a book signing in this weekend with author Sue Elliott for her new book Trent Park House!

Top events in London this Saturday and Sunday.

11/05/2026

Shhhhhhh! A quiet moment at the museum during installation, as we look towards what was once Sir Philip Sassoon's Drawing Room, which will be fully restored for the opening of the museum.

One of our key sources is an article published in a 1931 edition of Country Life magazine, in which the key rooms were described in detail, and accompanied by a series of black and white photographs.

05/05/2026

One of the most iconic photographs in Trent Park House's fascinating history pictures Sir Winston Churchill strolling through the beautiful 'Wisteria Walk' - a Grade II listed pergola first installed in 1912, set within the grounds of Trent Park.

We recently took a wander to retrace Churchill's footsteps, and were treated to the first cascades of blooms beginning to emerge. We’ll try and get some more photos over the coming weeks!

28/04/2026

Trent Park House boasts a fascinating dual legacy. In the 1930s, it served as the residence of the socialite Sir Philip Sassoon, who wined and dined some of the most influential statespeople, royalty, and politicians of the era.

During World War Two, the house became a high-ranking German POW facility and home to the 'Secret Listeners' – British intelligence operators hidden in the basement – whose wartime eavesdropping led to some of the most important intelligence breakthroughs of the war.

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22/04/2026

Some of you may have noticed that we have featured in some newspapers recently with news of our summer opening! Take a look at this piece in The Sun!

WHO can say they don’t love being embroiled in the world of spies in the world of fiction at least? Well, soon Brits will get to learn more about the actions of some of the real-life secret a…

17/04/2026

Meet the Team! We're delighted to welcome Sharondeep Jawanda as our new Schools Manager at Trent Park House of Secrets. 👋

Sharondeep says: "I'm excited to restart the schools programme and share this important part of history, especially bringing to light the story of women in intelligence."

Sharondeep will be leading our free Key Stage 2 education programme, where students step into history to investigate a mysterious leather bag, uncover the story of a German Jewish refugee recruited as a Secret Listener, and take part in an immersive drama workshop with a professional facilitator. 🔍✨

Students will explore life in wartime, how intelligence was shared, and the vital contributions of migrants to Britain. Sessions will take place in schools prior to our museum opening.

Bookings now open for free KS2 workshops for schools in Enfield and Barnet up to July 2027. Please note, presently, our workshops are only open to schools within the London Boroughs of and .

Find out more: https://trentparkhouse.org.uk/pages/learning or sign up to our schools mailing list!

Our Learning Programme has been made possible by

15/04/2026

🗝️ We have the keys!

After more than a decade, building works are complete and our fit-out has officially begun - the exhibition, gift shop, Clore Learning Space, café and back-of-house areas are all taking shape.

Watching an empty shell transform into a living museum in real time is something our whole team has waited a very long time to see. We couldn't have got here without you - thank you! 🙏

📸 Co-Chairmen Jason Charalambous and David Cholmondeley hold the keys to Trent Park House following handover, joined by Deputy Chairman Alan Perkin and Director Giuseppe Albano.

See you later this year!

09/04/2026

Year 13 History A-level students from recently visited Trent Park House as part of Open Doors. With careers as a running theme, students heard about wide range careers in construction from , as well as pathways into arts and heritage before exploring the fascinating history of the house and its remarkable wartime role, including the vital contributions of women to intelligence work.

A Secret Listeners workshop was led by Schools Manager in the room that will become our Clore Learning Space.

📅Bookings are now open for free KS2 workshops for schools in Enfield and Barnet up to July 2027. Our Visit our website to find out more. https://bit.ly/4mlQvdi