Hughenden Manor
High Wycombe HP14 4LA
Close to High Wycombe, on the road to Aylesbury, lies one of the Chilterns' grandest country piles, Hughenden Manor. A redbrick Victorian mansion, now owned by the National Trust, it was once the home of Queen Victoria’s favourite prime minister, Benjamin Disraeli. and is full of furniture, books, portraits and memorabilia, with gardens laid out by Mary Anne, Disraeli’s wife. There are often special trails and fun for children, and also wonderful walks in the estate's expansive beech woods, with red kites overhead and woodpeckers tapping away. During World War II, Hughenden was used as a secret intelligence base (codenamed 'Hillside') for the analysis of aerial photography of Germany, and for map-making, including those for the famous Dam Busters raid. The cellar houses a fascinating exhibition and map display. There's easy parking, refreshments, and a secondhand book shop on site.
