Trent Park House: A Century of Secrets

At last, my book in the mulling for ten years has finally seen the light of day, published by Pen & Sword History on 30 April 2026. Why so long? Research was sporadic. There were blind alleys. And false starts. Was it historical fiction? An enticing prospect, but I am no Hilary Mantel. Perhaps a biography of a fascinating but secondary (woman) character? But not enough surviving material for a whole book. Finally, and with my agent’s advice, I went the traditional route and told the story as a straight chronological history. But what a story!

A fine country estate – but five minutes from a Piccadilly Line tube station. A gracious Georgian mansion – but actually a 20th century creation. A millionaire socialite who entertained the rich, royal and famous here – but a troubled man with secrets of his own. A requisitioned wartime prisoner of war camp – but with a Top Secret purpose hidden for fifty years. A peacetime role that saw generations of young people pass through its precincts – only to face potential disaster and destruction in the 21st century.

This is the story of Trent Park’s three very different ‘lives’ over 100 years, spanning roughly 1926-2026. It ends with the opening of a new Museum https://trentparkhouse.org.uk/and visitor attraction. Together, my book and the Museum bring Trent’s fascinating recent past to glorious life.