Hidden gem at Hughenden Manor Location photography shoot

While at Hughenden Manor photographing a rest room refurb for Focus Washrooms we found the most amazing photographic department at the back, hardly noticable to the public.

In the 19th century Hughenden Manor was the country house of the Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield. Today, it is owned by the National Trust and fully open to the public.

A house with two tales, Hughenden Manor has a rich history. On the one hand it was the country home to Benjamin Disraeli, Queen Victoria's favourite Prime Minister. On the other, it was the base for a secret map-making operation during the Second World War, so secret it only came to light 60 years later after a chance encounter one of the house volunteers had with a visitor. She overheard a man telling his grandson he’d been stationed here during the Second World War. This led to a decade-long unravelling of the story.

Codenamed ‘Hillside’, Hughenden played such a critical role supporting the pilots of nearby Bomber Command that it was on Hitler’s list of top targets.

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The former Disraelian Ice House was taken over in the war by the Air Ministry. The men that worked there became famous for their pranks,and were known as "The Ice House Boys"