Trent Park House Oral History Project Gets Underway

The following announcement was written by the folks at Trent Park House (located at Trent Park, Cockfosters Road, Barnet, EN4 0PS, England).

People who have a connection to the incredible history of Trent Park House will have their memories recorded for a new museum.

Memories and stories from people connected to the history of Trent Park House will be recorded and “brought to life” thanks to a new lottery-funded project.

The Grade 2-listed Georgian mansion – which played a key role in the Second World War when the conversations of captured Nazis were recorded by a team of ‘secret listeners’ – is currently being restored. A new museum had been due to open this year, but this has now been put back until 2025.

Last year The National Lottery Heritage Fund announced it was giving £225,000 to Trent Park Museum Trust for an oral history project which would “bring Trent Park to life”. This week the Cockfosters charity announced it was now launching the project, with the aim of preserving the rich history of the house through the collection of stories and memories from those who have a personal connection to it.

The personal stories will be shared through a variety of mediums, including audio recordings and transcripts. They will form an online archive that will explore the history of the Second World War secret listeners as well as being used for the museum and website, which are currently under development.

The oral history project will be led by Rib Davis, who has been actively involved in the collection and dissemination of oral history for over 40 years.

Anyone with a personal connection to Trent Park House are encouraged to get in touch with the museum trust: Visit trentparkhouse.org.uk