Enfield's new museum welcomes 8,000 visitors in first month

Trent Park House of Secrets is already attracting visitors from far and wide

Visitors can walk through a 'secret' doorway to reach the wartime listening rooms (credit Michael Leckie PA Media) — Visitors can walk through a ‘secret’ doorway to reach the wartime listening rooms (credit Michael Leckie/PA Media)

A new museum in Trent Park has welcomed more than 8,000 visitors in its first month since opening, the charity behind it says.

Trent Park House of Secrets opened on Tuesday, 21st July after a decade of planning and painstaking restoration work to the building.

The museum tells two contrasting stories of pre-war socialising and wartime intelligence gathering. On the ground floor, the lavish rooms of the mansion house as they looked under socialite Sir Phillip Sassoon’s ownership have been restored and recreated, while downstairs visitors can learn about the ‘secret listeners’ who covertly recorded the conversations of Nazi prisoners being held there during the Second World War, gathering intelligence which later proved crucial in helping the Allies to defeat Nazi Germany.

In an update today (Friday 21st) Trent Park Museum Trust, the charity which runs the venue, says: “It’s been an extraordinary first month. Since opening our doors, we’ve welcomed over 8,000 visitors from across the UK and as far afield as Belgium, Sweden, the USA and even New Zealand, each discovering the remarkable story hidden within Trent Park House for the very first time.”

The museum is taking part in next month’s Open House Festival, although three tours with director Giuseppe Albano have already been fully booked. As an alternative, expert David Page will be leading a 30-minute guided tour at 3pm on Wednesday, 2nd September, exploring Sir Philip Sassoon’s “remarkable life and his transformation of Trent Park”. No special ticket is needed for this tour.

From Tuesday, 1st September Trent Park House of Secrets will join the Art Fund National Art Pass, where members get a 50% discount on entry.

The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 10am–5pm, with entry tickets costing £14 for adults and £12 for children and students. Under-fives can enter for free. For more information:
Visit trentparkhouse.org.uk/products/tickets

Local news needs your support

We are proud that we were at the forefront of reporting on the recent local elections. We can’t do this without the support of our readers.

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.

ACT NOW!

Monthly direct debit

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else.