Footsteps of WWII · Britain
Bentley Priory Museum, Stanmore
Headquarters · Jul 1936 – 1945 (Battle of Britain Jul–Oct 1940)
The story
This country house was the headquarters of RAF Fighter Command throughout the Second World War. From here Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding commanded the fighter force in the Battle of Britain and ran the defence system he had built: radar stations and Observer Corps reports fed into a filter room here, then out to group and sector operations rooms, which sent fighters to meet the raids. Dowding was removed from command in November 1940 but was made Baron Dowding of Bentley Priory in 1943. The RAF stayed until 2008. The museum opened in 2013 and tells the story of 'The One' (Dowding), 'The Few' (the aircrew) and 'The Many' who supported them.
What to look for
The Italianate mansion's ground-floor rooms hold the museum, including Dowding's restored office looking over the gardens. Galleries on the aircrew and ground staff, a Battle of Britain timeline and a heritage trail in the grounds complete the visit.
Plan your visit
Open Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and bank holiday Mondays; 10:00–16:00 from October to February. Closed mid-December to mid-January. Adult about £9.50; no booking needed. Phone lines unreliable, use the website.
Things change, so check opening times before you travel.
Nearby sites
- Battle of Britain Bunker, Uxbridge · 13 km
- Churchill War Rooms, London · 20 km
- St Paul's Cathedral and the Blitz, London · 21 km
- Imperial War Museum London · 21 km
- Biggin Hill Memorial Museum · 42 km
- Bletchley Park · 50 km
All 160 sites in Footsteps of WWII →
Footsteps of WWII: Europe 1939–1945
A free field guide for your phone: the route, the maps and the stories built in, even with no signal. The whole Second World War in Europe, from the first shots at Westerplatte on 1 September 1939 to the German surrender in May 1945: Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain, Normandy, Arnhem, Bastogne, Stalingrad, Berlin and the camps, in 15 areas from Britain to Russia.
Open the guide