The Campaign to Save Trent Park in Enfield

A post that is, rather longwindedly perhaps of interest to China Rhymers. Trent Park is a Grade II listed mansion that now sits in the Trent Country Park in the north London borough of Enfield (where I happen to come from – the borough not the mansion you understand). The building was for many years part of Middlesex University and in WW2 was a POW camp for German officers (mostly Luftwaffe pilots captured during the Battle for Britain and their rooms had hidden microphones so we could listen in on them). It is a beautiful building, in good condition (at least the exterior is and, the last time I was there, the interior was in pretty good condition too) and surrounded by nice grounds and an orangery. there used to be a lovely outdoor swimming pool which I used once but not sure if that is still there. However, the current owners are in liquidation and the future of the site is uncertain. There is a campaign to preserve the building and you can sign a petition to ensure that the London Borough of Enfield does so here.

And so here is the longwinded link to China:

In 1909 the estate was sold to Sir Philip Sassoon who entertained the likes of Chaplin and Churchill at the mansion;

Sir Philip’s cousin was Siegfried Sassoon, the war poet;

Sir Philip was the son of Sir Edward Albert Sassoon, himself the son of David Sassoon, best associated with the Sassoon’s trading empire in India;

Sir Victor Sassoon was a cousin and he of course went to Shanghai and did rather well for himself.

Trent Park as it is today

The Orangery and swimming pool (where I once took a summer dip)

Trent Park surrounded by barbed wire and guards when it was a POW camp in WW2