A secret wartime past is revealed in our Second World War rooms in the cellars, with interactive exhibits and eye-witness accounts. Experience the wartime displays in our ice house bunker and find out why Hughenden was high on Hitler's list of top targets.

Meet the map-makers
Hughenden was home to a secret map-making operation in the Second World War, so secret it only came to light 60 years later after a chance encounter one of our house volunteers had with a visitor. She overheard a man telling his grandson he’d been stationed here during the Second World War and 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.

Around 100 personnel were based here, drawing up the maps used for bombing missions during the war, including the Dam Busters raids and a planned hit on Hitler’s secret bunker at Berchtesgaden. Skilled cartographers produced leading-edge maps from aerial photographs delivered by the RAF’s reconnaissance missions.

Visit the Manor cellars to find out how the map-making work helped turn around the war, and see the recreated dark room in the ice house.
nationaltrust.org.uk/hughenden/features/hughendens-second-world-war-story

In the know? Log-in to add a tip for other adventurers!

Details

Informations

Elevation 180 m

Weather

Today

Tuesday 18 November

6°C

4°C

0 %

If you start your activity now...

Max wind speed: 12.0 km/h

Most visited during

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

See hikes here

Take Me There

Location: Hughenden, Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, South East England, England, United Kingdom

Other Popular Places to Check Out

Buddhist Stupas at Holyhill Wood

Marlow Town Centre

Coombe Hill Viewpoint and Boer War Memorial

Dashwood Mausoleum

Bacombe Hill Local Nature Reserve

Monkton Woods Forest Path

View of Hughenden Valley from Longrove Plantations

Cock Marsh Nature Reserve

Wendover Town Center

Pulpit Wood Singletrack

Penn Village

View from Whiteleaf Hill

Hughenden Manor Ice House Bunker and World War II Map Room

1. Hughenden Manor and Gardens – Hughenden Manor loop from Downley

2. Dashwood Mausoleum – View from Common Wood loop from Downley

3. Dashwood Mausoleum – Hughenden Manor loop from Hughenden Valley

Other Popular Places to Check Out

We value your privacy ⛰️

We value your privacy ⛰️