£49.50 (Non JG member)
Overview
Located within a Grade II* listed Mansion House in Stanmore, North West London, Bentley Priory Museum tells one of the most important narratives of modern history – how the Battle of Britain was won. Bentley Priory was Headquarters Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain, and the Museum explores how technology, leadership and courage forged victory, enabling Britain’s darkest hour to also be her finest hour. The Museum highlights the contribution and importance of ‘The One‘, Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding, ‘The Few‘, the aircrew who took to the skies to defend Britain, and ‘The Many‘, without whose tireless work on the ground victory would not have been possible. The Museum also explores the wider history of Bentley Priory, before the Air Ministry bought it in 1926. Bentley Priory was once home to a hotel, a girls’ school, and John James Hamilton, the 1st Marquess of Abercorn, who commissioned architect Sir John Soane to add to Bentley Priory’s architectual splendour in the 1780s. Queen Adelaide, the wife of William IV and aunt to Queen Victoria, also resided at Bentley Priory in 1849, the last year of her life. The vintage Cafe is the perfect place to have refreshments THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN BUNKER EXHIBITION AND VISITOR CENTRE includes a state-of-the-art exhibition detailing the development of the UK’s air defence system from the First World War to the end of the Second World War. Visitors learn the key moments of history that shaped Britain’s air defence and led to the construction of the Bunker. They can listen to first-hand accounts from people that worked in the Bunker during its finest hour in 1940. They can see real artefacts including aircraft wreckage, uniforms, and telecommunications equipment used by the RAF to defend the nation. And they can experience for themselves the pressures, complexity and fun of working in the bunker with our hands-on, audio-visual interactives. The exhibition provides insight into how the Bunker worked, inside and out, featuring a replica of the original 1940 plotting map and a 360-degree touch screen experience for those unable to go underground to visit the Bunker and the original Operations Room. Daisy’s in the Park is the on-site cafe, We suggest you bring a picnic to eat on the coach between the visits as time is too tight to eat at the venues. Tea and coffee is available at the venues