Bentley Priory in north west London was acquired by the Air Ministry in 1926. The former Augustinian friary, stately home, hotel and girls' school became the home of the newly formed Fighter Command in July 1936, with Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding taking up the position of its first commander-in-chief. Fighter Command was combined with Bomber Command in 1968, to form Strike Command and Bentley Priory became an administrative and training unit. The RAF finally left in 2008 and Bentley Priory Museum was opened in 2013. The Grade Ⅱ~* listed Officer's Mess and Italian gardens will be familiar to fans of the 1969 Battle of Britain film, with Lawrence Olivier playing the part of Dowding, and walking out on the veranda to look at the sky in the closing scene of the film.
展开▼
