Bentley Priory has a long and colourful history from its monastic origins through to its use as a family home, its conversion into a hotel and then its eventual sale to the Air Ministry with its role as the home of RAF Fighter Command in the Second World War.
By the time of the Domesday Book, The Priory housed a cell of Augustinian Friars in buildings to the south of the present mansion. In 1546 The Priory’s religious days were over and Henry VIII gave the lands to Robert Needham and William Sacheverell before it was ultimately sold in 1775 to James Duberley.
James Duberly an army contractor is thought to have pulled down the original Priory buildings before building a more imposing house on the site.
The Marquess of Abercorn
In 1788 the estate was sold to the Hon. James Hamilton the 9th Earl of Abercorn. On elevation to Marquess he set about enlarging the house and estate employing Sir John Soane, one of the most pre-eminent 18th Century architects, to extend and remodel the house in three phases.
The Marqess was an influential figure and the Priory became a rendezvous for many political and literary visitors from William Pitt to Sir Walter Scott and the poet Wordsworth.
The Dowager Queen Adelaide 1848 - 1849
In 1848 the Dowager Queen Adelaide, widow of William IV leased the Priory and regularly received Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Her legacy can be seen today in the Adelaide room with its beautifully painted moulded ceiling and fireplace, original to the house, with two ceramic side panels in the grate bearing Queen Adelaide’s monogram.
Sir John Kelk 1863 - 1882
The estate was bought in 1852 by SirJohn Kelk, an eminent Victorian engineer. Kelk, added improvements to The Priory including a picture gallery, a library, the clock tower, an orangery and a Tuscan Portico to the south front, which survives today.
The Gordon Family 1882 - 1908
In 1882 the estate was sold to Fredrick Gordon, of Gordon Hotels, who converted Bentley Priory into a hotel. Gordon was so convinced of the hotel’s success that he had the railway line extended from Harrow to Stanmore. However, after opening in 1885, the hotel was not a financial success so the family moved into The Priory and lived there until 1908.
A Girls Boarding School 1908- 1924
The Priory changed hands in 1908 and functioned as a girl’s school until the financial depression of the 1920’s.
Modern History
In 1926 the estate was split into two lots and the house, with 40 acres of the estate was sold to the Air Ministry. The remainder of the estate, about 240 acres, was sold to a syndicate who divided it into building plots with 90 acres being bought by Middlesex Country Council.
RAF Fighter Command moved to Bentley Priory in 1936 with its first Air Officer Commanding, Air Marshall Sir Hugh Dowding. Under RAF ownership many of the original buildings on the site were demolished and replaced by RAF facilities. Prior to the outbreak of World War II the Priory underwent many changes including the adaptation of the two largest rooms into The Operations Room and The Filter Room.
Bentley Priory remains most famous for its pivotal role as the Headquarters of Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain in 1940 one of the decisive battles of history. Had the battle been lost, the whole course of world history would have been changed.
Bentley Priory was a working RAF base until January 2008 when VSM Estates were granted detailed planning and listed building consent by Harrow Council for its sensitive redevelopment.
The site was purchased in 2010 by City & Country who will develop the new homes and museum within the Priory building and Barratt Homes, who will build new homes at the site.