place

Bentley Priory

1171 establishments in England1536 disestablishments in EnglandAdelaide of Saxe-MeiningenAugustinian monasteries in EnglandChristian monasteries established in the 12th century
Country houses in LondonGeorgian architecture in LondonGrade II listed buildings in the London Borough of HarrowGrade II listed houses in LondonGrade II listed museum buildingsHistoric house museums in LondonHistory of MiddlesexHistory of the London Borough of HarrowHouses in the London Borough of HarrowJohn Soane buildingsMiddlesexMonasteries in LondonMuseums in the London Borough of HarrowUse British English from August 2015
Bentley Priory geograph.org.uk 1095794
Bentley Priory geograph.org.uk 1095794

Bentley Priory is an eighteenth to nineteenth century stately home and deer park in Stanmore on the northern edge of the Greater London area in the London Borough of Harrow. It was originally a medieval priory or cell of Augustinian Canons in Harrow Weald, then in Middlesex. There are no remains of the original priory, but it probably stood near Priory House, off Clamp Hill.In 1775, Sir John Soane designed a large mansion house north of the original priory, called Bentley Priory, for the wealthy businessman James Duberley. This was added to throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by various owners. It was significantly extended in 1788, again by Sir John Soane, for John Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Abercorn. The priory was the final home of the Dowager Queen Adelaide, queen consort of William IV, 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. In the Second World War, Bentley Priory was the headquarters of RAF Fighter Command, and it remained in RAF hands in various roles until 2008. As of 2013, the site has been sold to a developer and plans to convert some of the building to luxury apartments and build new houses have been approved and construction commenced. The Bentley Priory Battle of Britain Trust has secured part of the building to be used as a museum and memorial dedicated to those who served in the RAF.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Bentley Priory (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Bentley Priory
Mansion House Drive, London

Geographical coordinates (GPS) Address Nearby Places
placeShow on map

Wikipedia: Bentley PrioryContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 51.62669 ° E -0.334175 °
placeShow on map

Address

Bentley Priory

Mansion House Drive
HA7 3GF London (London Borough of Harrow)
England, United Kingdom
mapOpen on Google Maps

Bentley Priory geograph.org.uk 1095794
Bentley Priory geograph.org.uk 1095794
Share experience

Nearby Places

RAF Bentley Priory
RAF Bentley Priory

RAF Bentley Priory was a non-flying Royal Air Force station near Stanmore in the London Borough of Harrow. It was the headquarters of Fighter Command in the Battle of Britain and throughout the Second World War. During the war, two enemy bombs destroyed a wooden hut near the married quarters, a blast from a V-1 flying bomb broke a few windows, the windows in the Officers' Mess were shattered by a V-2 rocket, and a Vickers Wellington crashed outside the Sergeants' Mess. The Royal Air Force station closed its operations on 30 May 2008, with all units relocating to new accommodation at RAF Northolt, a few miles away. The station incorporated Bentley Priory, which was originally built in 1766. The house was significantly extended in 1788, by Sir John Soane, for John Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Abercorn. It was the final home of the dowager Queen Adelaide, queen consort of William IV, before her death there in 1849. Afterwards the building was used as a hotel and girls' school before being acquired by the RAF in 1926. The site includes a Grade II* listed Officers' Mess and Italian Gardens. These, together with the park, are designated a Registered Garden Grade II. The land south of the house is the Bentley Priory Nature Reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest maintained by Harrow Heritage Trust.Since its closure, the Officers' Mess has converted into the Bentley Priory Museum with exhibits focusing on the house's role in the Battle of Britain. The grounds have been redeveloped as a private residential housing estate.