Whaddon Hall facts for kids
Whaddon Hall is a large, old house located in a village called Whaddon, Buckinghamshire, in England. It's a very special building, protected by law because of its history and architecture. It's known as a Grade II listed building.
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The Story of Whaddon Hall
The very first house on this spot was built a long, long time ago, in the 11th century. The Whaddon Hall you see today was built in 1820. It replaced an even older house that was taken down in the late 1700s. For many years, the Selby family (also called Selby-Lowndes) lived here. One of their family members, William Lowndes, built an even bigger and grander house nearby called Winslow Hall.
Whaddon Hall During World War II
During the Second World War, Whaddon Hall played a very important secret role. It became the main office for a special part of the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), also known as MI6. This part was called Section VIII, and it handled all the secret communications. Brigadier Richard Gambier-Parry was in charge.
A super-secret listening station, called "Station X," moved to Whaddon Hall in February 1940. This station used to be at Bletchley Park. At Whaddon Hall, it became known as "Main Line." Its most important job was to send "Ultra" intelligence to officers working in the field.
What Was Ultra Intelligence?
"Ultra" was the name given to information that was even more secret than "Top Secret." This amazing information was gathered by breaking secret codes used in radio messages. These messages were sent by enemy forces during the war.
When France was taken over by the Axis Powers in June 1940, only a few secret agents were able to talk to Whaddon Hall. Early in the war, some agents were not very experienced. They spent too much time sending messages, which put them in danger. But by 1943, Brigadier Gambier-Parry and his team had made huge improvements. They created a much better way for secret agents to communicate safely. This secret radio network allowed Gambier-Parry to stay in touch with agents in many different countries.
After the War
After the war, Whaddon Hall changed hands and purposes several times. In the early 1960s, it was used for industrial work. Then, in the 1970s, it became a country club, a place where people could relax and socialize.
In 1976, there was a serious fire at the hall. After the fire, it was repaired and made new again. In the 1980s, Whaddon Hall was changed into apartments. As of 2017, the building is divided into four separate homes.
