Heatherden Hall
Encyclopedia
Heatherden Hall is a grade II Victorian
Country House
located in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire
, England. It stands in the grounds of Pinewood Studios
and is used as offices, movie sets, and as a wedding venue.
It was purchased by Lt. Col. Grant Morden, a Canadian financier, who transformed the mansion by adding a huge ballroom and Turkish bath. During the 1930s it became a retreat and private meeting place for politicians and diplomats. The agreement to form the Irish Free State was signed at Heatherden Hall.
When Grant Morden died in 1934 the estate was purchased at auction by Charles Boot who had recently inherited a large construction firm from his father Henry Boot, who died in 1931. Within twelve months Charles Boot transformed Heatherden Hall into the office building for a new movie complex which occupied the grounds.
There are two main fronts to the mansion, one very formal 3 story entrance and another that is mostly seen in films. A conservatory was added to the front where the door was and was known as The Gatsby Suite however this was subsequently removed and now forms part of the enlarged outdoor terrace. Along the side is the grand Ballroom. The house has extensive grounds with formal gardens and lakes, plants and features. There are many trees surrounding the manor which is where the name "Pinewood" originated from.
The house has been featured in many British films, including The Amazing Mr Blunden
, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
, From Russia with Love
(as the SPECTRE
headquarters) and the Carry On films, and in such television series as One Foot in the Grave
and Midsomer Murders
.
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
Country House
English country house
The English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a London house. This allowed to them to spend time in the country and in the city—hence, for these people, the term distinguished between town and country...
located in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, England. It stands in the grounds of Pinewood Studios
Pinewood Studios
Pinewood Studios is a major British film studio situated in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, approximately west of central London. The studios have played host to many productions over the years from huge blockbuster films to television shows to commercials to pop promos.The purchase of Shepperton...
and is used as offices, movie sets, and as a wedding venue.
It was purchased by Lt. Col. Grant Morden, a Canadian financier, who transformed the mansion by adding a huge ballroom and Turkish bath. During the 1930s it became a retreat and private meeting place for politicians and diplomats. The agreement to form the Irish Free State was signed at Heatherden Hall.
When Grant Morden died in 1934 the estate was purchased at auction by Charles Boot who had recently inherited a large construction firm from his father Henry Boot, who died in 1931. Within twelve months Charles Boot transformed Heatherden Hall into the office building for a new movie complex which occupied the grounds.
There are two main fronts to the mansion, one very formal 3 story entrance and another that is mostly seen in films. A conservatory was added to the front where the door was and was known as The Gatsby Suite however this was subsequently removed and now forms part of the enlarged outdoor terrace. Along the side is the grand Ballroom. The house has extensive grounds with formal gardens and lakes, plants and features. There are many trees surrounding the manor which is where the name "Pinewood" originated from.
The house has been featured in many British films, including The Amazing Mr Blunden
The Amazing Mr Blunden
The Amazing Mr. Blunden is a 1972 family mystery film directed by Lionel Jeffries, based on the novel The Ghosts by Antonia Barber.-Plot:...
, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (film)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a 1968 musical film with a script by Roald Dahl and Ken Hughes, and songs by the Sherman Brothers, loosely based on Ian Fleming's novel Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car. It starred Dick Van Dyke as Caractacus Potts and Sally Ann Howes as Truly Scrumptious. The...
, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie is a short book by novelist Muriel Spark, the best known of her works. It first saw publication in The New Yorker magazine and was published as a book by Macmillan in 1961. The character of Miss Jean Brodie brought Spark international fame and brought her into the...
, From Russia with Love
From Russia with Love (film)
From Russia with Love is the second in the James Bond spy film series, and the second to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Released in 1963, the film was produced by Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, and directed by Terence Young. It is based on the 1957 novel of the...
(as the SPECTRE
SPECTRE
SPECTRE is a fictional global terrorist organisation featured in the James Bond novels by Ian Fleming, the films based on those novels, and James Bond video games...
headquarters) and the Carry On films, and in such television series as One Foot in the Grave
One Foot in the Grave
One Foot in the Grave is a BBC television sitcom series written by David Renwick. The show ran for six series, including seven Christmas specials, two Comic Relief specials, over an eleven year period, from early 1990 to late 2000...
and Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders is a British television detective drama that has aired on ITV since 1997. The show is based on the books by Caroline Graham, as originally adapted by Anthony Horowitz. The lead character is DCI Tom Barnaby who works for Causton CID. When Nettles left the show in 2011 he was...
.