The exterior of Trent Park House, July 2026. Photographer credit James O. Harris


Trent Park House of Secrets in London is a new museum which reveals the incredible story of the WWII ‘Secret Listeners’ - a story which remained hidden for over 70 years.

The museum occupies two floors of Trent Park House, following the meticulous restoration of one of London’s grandest houses. On the ground floor, visitors will journey through magnificently restored and furnished rooms that were the backdrop to Sir Philip Sassoon’s socialite and political world, where he hosted some of the most influential statesmen, journalists, royalty and politicians in the 1930s.

In 1942 the house became one of Britain’s most secret wartime establishments. Captured senior German officers were held here in conditions of deliberate comfort, encouraged to talk freely, and listened to without their knowledge. In the basement below, a team of German speaking refugees, most of them Jewish, recorded their conversations through hidden microphones. What they gathered reached the highest levels of British intelligence, including information on Hitler’s V weapons and atomic research, and some of the earliest evidence of the crimes being committed in occupied Europe.

Room settings, original and reproduced equipment, archive photographs, film and recorded testimony are used throughout. Some of the film in the museum has been created by animating historic photographs using AI, with voices performed by Helen Lederer and John Glover. The scripts draw on journals and other historic sources for accuracy.

Trent Park House, Enfield is recognised as being of national and international significance on a level with Bletchley Park.

Born out of a large-scale public campaign to save the House, the Trent Park Trust (established in 2016) has delivered the highest quality redevelopment of this much-loved site.

This is an astonishing story of espionage, courage and creative deception which remained untold until now.

Trent Park Museum Trust is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered with the Charity Commission in England and Wales with Registered Charity Number1169382.

The Story So Far

1779

The story begins when King George III presents Sir Philip Jebb with a lease on the royal estate at Enfield.

1833

Trent Park House passes to David Bevan, then through the generations to his grandson, Francis who remodels the house in the 1890s.

1912

Philip Sassoon inherits Trent Park House from his father Sir Edward and sets about transforming the estate into the quintessential English county house.

1923

During the 1920s and 1930s Trent Park House becomes a weekend retreat for the rich and famous with Philip Sassoon the perfect society host.

1939

The Shadows of War at Trent Park House - Philip Sassoon dies from influenza at the age of 50 and Trent Park is requisitioned by the War Office at the outbreak of WWII

1940

Under the direction of MI-19 officer Thomas Kendrick, Trent Park House becomes an intelligence centre, fitted with bugging equipment throughout.

1941

From 1940-1945 Secret Listeners hidden in the basement eavesdrop on the conservations of German prisoners of war in the rooms above.

1947

Post-War Trent Park House becomes a training college, then Middlesex University, a major centre for dance and drama education.

2014

The Save Trent Park campaign is launched to establish a museum in the mansion house to tell the incredible story of Trent Park’s wartime role.

2025

Trent Park House Museum is due to open in July 2026, allowing the public to experience the story of the Secret Listeners which has remained hidden in the house for over 70 years.

Find out more about Saving Trent Park

Our Team

Trustees

The Marquess of Cholmondeley GCVO DL

Trustee & Co-Chairman

Lord Cholmondeley is the Trust’s Co-Chairman, and is the great-nephew of Sir Philip Sassoon, who owned and restored Trent Park between 1912 and 1939. He currently manages Houghton Hall in Norfolk, his family’s ancestral house, which is open to the public. He also runs estates in Norfolk and Cheshire, and until recently served as the Lord Great Chamberlain of the United Kingdom.

Jason Charalambous

Founding Trustee & Co-Chairman

Jason Charalambous is the Trust’s founding Trustee and Chairman, a role he has shared with Lord Cholmondeley since 2019. He is a Solicitor-Advocate specialising in Commercial Law in the City of London. In 2014 he founded and led the Save Trent Park campaign calling for the House to be used for the public benefit and a museum established to tell its extraordinary story. The campaign he led received widespread public support and national press coverage, and after negotiations with Berkeley Homes and the council, planning permission was granted for the museum. He established the Trust in 2016 to deliver on the promise. He is actively involved in a number of charitable organisations and Trusts, and brings his legal and business experience, together with his passion for history and architecture to the project.

Bim Afolami

Trustee & Treasurer

Bim Afolami was the Economic Secretary to the Treasury and City Minister from 2023 to 2024, having served as the Member of Parliament for Hitchin and Harpenden in Hertfordshire until 2024. Before he became an MP, Bim worked as a lawyer and then as a senior executive at HSBC. He serves as the Trust's treasurer and brings a wealth of experience to the role.

Andrew Kafkaris

Trustee

Andrew Kafkaris holds a long-held passion for country houses and historic buildings that influenced his career choice as a chartered surveyor. In his professional career he is responsible for the estate management of many historic buildings across central London, many of which are prominent listed buildings. His particular interest in country houses is exemplified by his thesis subject ​‘The Survival of the English Country House’. Andrew offers his skills and passion to the Trent Park Museum Trust.

Helen Lederer

Trustee

Helen Lederer is the granddaughter of Ernst Lederer, who served as a Secret Listener at Trent Park during World War II. She is an accomplished comedian, writer and actress, and brings considerable media expertise to the Trust.

Francesca Mendes

Trustee

Francesca Mendes joins the team having worked at some of the largest and most popular museums and visitor attractions, including the Natural History Museum, Churchill War Rooms and the National Army Museum. She brings to the Board her experiences in visitor operations and commercial services and is delighted to be supporting the development of this unique historic house and sharing its incredible story.

Winston Newman

Trustee

Winston Newman is an architect (retd) who has designed and built a range of residential and commercial projects throughout London and Hertfordshire. He has been a consultant architect to the pharmaceutical industry, working with them to develop innovatory flexible laboratory space to speed research.

Mark Pemberton OBE

Trustee

Mark Pemberton OBE has spent his entire career in the heritage sector. He read history at Cambridge then joined the Ironbridge Gorge Museum, moving to the Science Museum and finally to English Heritage where he was Director of National Collections responsible for the care, conservation and commercial development of its 400 historic sites. He is a trustee of a number of charities within the heritage sector including the Ironbridge Gorge Museum where is Chair of Trustees.

Alan Perkin

Trustee

Alan Perkin is a chemical engineer (retd) who has worked for major and smaller contracting, consulting and software companies and held senior roles for business development in the oil and gas industry. His international experience included driving and growing business from strategy development, opportunity identification, through pre-qualification, proposal creation and management, to contract negotiation, closure and handover. He has lived in close proximity to Trent Park for over 30 years.

The Marquess of Cholmondeley GCVO DL

Trustee & Co-Chairman

Jason Charalambous

Founding Trustee & Co-Chairman

Bim Afolami

Trustee & Treasurer

Andrew Kafkaris

Trustee

Helen Lederer

Trustee

Francesca Mendes

Trustee

Winston Newman

Trustee

Mark Pemberton OBE

Trustee

Alan Perkin

Trustee

Staff, Consultants & Advisors

Dr Giuseppe Albano MBE

Director

Giuseppe Albano has over 15 years’ experience leading museums and cultural institutions. From 2011 to 2022, he served as Curator and Director of the Keats–Shelley House in Rome, followed by his tenure as Director of the Freud Museum London from 2022 to 2025. In June 2025, he was appointed Director of Trent Park House of Secrets to lead the final stages of the museum’s development and its opening to the public. He has also been a Trustee of the Charles Dickens Museum in London and served for nine years as Regional Coordinator for Lazio on the committee of Associazione Nazionale Case della Memoria, an association of Italian historic house museums. Giuseppe holds a PhD in English Literature from the University of Cambridge and is a Fellow of the English Association. He was previously a Fellow of the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities at the University of Edinburgh. He was awarded the MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours of 2019 for services to UK–Italy relations.

David Mlinaric CBE

Historic Decor Advisor

David Mlinaric is a leading interior designer who has worked with the National Gallery, London, the National Portrait Gallery, London and Victoria and Albert museum among them – as well as many buildings belonging to the National Trust. He has designed or decorated interiors from all over the world, including the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and is advising the Trust on historic decor.

Lord Sassoon

Trustee Emeritus

Lord Sassoon is a banker and former Commercial Secretary to the Treasury. He is the Chairman of the Soane Museum, President of the China-Britain Business Council, and a former trustee of the British Museum. He served as the Trust’s Treasurer until March 2023.

Dr Simon Thurley

Senior Design & Business Planning Advisor

Dr Simon Thurley is a leading architectural historian and is the Chair of The National Lottery Heritage Fund. He has extensive experience in the heritage sector, having previously served as the Chief Executive of English Heritage, Curator of Historic Royal Palaces, and Director of the Museum of London. He acts as the Trust’s senior consultant and advisor.

Tori Reeve

Exhibition Designer & Curator

Tori Reeve is responsible for the Trust’s collections. Until 2016 she was the Chief Curator at Leeds Castle, Kent one of the Treasure Houses of England. Before that she was the Principal of Interior Design and Furnishing at the Palace of Westminster and Curator of Collections and Special projects at English Heritage. As well as masterminding new displays at Leeds Castle Tori led the major Charles Darwin Exhibition at Down House and a ground-breaking presentation project at Kenilworth Castle.
Person wearing a green cardigan on a pink background

Chezzy Brownen

Programme Manager

Chezzy Brownen has worked for the National Trust, where she was registrar for over 300 houses across the country, as well as the Ashmolean Museum and the Barber Institute of Fine Arts. More recently, she has been working with the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple in London as collections decant project manager and was the consultant registrar for Harewood House Trust on a museum Accreditation project. Chezzy was previously the MDO for Bath and North East Somerset representing 38 museums and heritage organisations. In addition, she worked on a project to provide recommendations for Bath in response to a UNESCO World Heritage Site report on the city.

Cynthia Wainwright

Fundraising Consultant

Cynthia Wainwright is the Trust’s fundraising consultant and has worked for leading institutions including Tate, the British Library and the Hepworth Wakefield. She has also served as a National Heritage Lottery Fund Committee Member for the Yorkshire & the Humber region. With an expertise in fundraising and developing relationships for arts and cultural organisations, she brings a wealth of experience to the Trust.

Lauren Gildersleve

Communications Manager & Consultant

Lauren is an experienced cultural communications professional with over 20 years of experience in high-profile organisations from the BBC to the Francis Crick Institute. She has expertise in corporate communications, reputation management, media relations and targeted multichannel digital campaigns. Recent freelance clients include Figurative, Clore Leadership, the Francis Crick Institute and the Postal Museum. Before freelancing, Lauren spent over a decade at the BBC, managing PR campaigns across arts, science, children's programming and BBC Films. At the Science Museum, she led the PR for its Dana Centre and exhibition programmes with the Wellcome Trust. Her achievements include a PR Week Award nomination for creating the UK's first light therapy lounge and founding the Smart Toy Awards.

David Page

Research Consultant

David is our research consultant on Sir Philip Sassoon. His recent Masters dissertation, ’The Houses of Sir Philip Sassoon, 1912-1939’, explored Sassoon’s life and how he used his three homes to support his political, artistic and social ambitions. Prior to developing an expertise in Sassoon, David worked in philanthropy and communications, as a director of Philanthropy Company and as a communications director at Tesco, Monarch Airlines and a number of agencies including Freuds.

Kate Francis

Administrative Support

Kate Francis is an experienced administrator with a background in project management, organisational development, human resources and marketing in the UK public and charitable sectors.

Caroline Marcus

Learning Consultant

Caroline is Associate Professor, Museology at UCL, Director of learning consultancy, Caroline Marcus Associates and Heritage, Outreach & Engagement Consultant – SIX the Musical. She specialises in young people’s leadership. Former roles include Take One Picture Curator, National Gallery, Takeover Day Director, Kids in Museums and Head of Learning, Jewish Museum. Caroline’s roles include Chair, Group for Education in Museums, Trustee, National Motor Museum and ReReeti Foundation, Assessor Sandford Award, Heritage Education Trust. She is a former primary teacher, and Chair of Governors, Brookland Schools. She advises numerous heritage organisations and is Fellow of the RSA and Clore Leadership Programme graduate.

Tali Krikler

Learning Consultant

Tali is an experienced museum and heritage professional, with professional portfolio experience, working with a wide range of organisations in senior roles in learning, participation, audience development, evaluation and strategy. Recent project work includes Learning and Engagement Consultant at the Jewish Museum London; Tali held previous roles at the Museum including Head of Learning and Head of Strategy. Tali has worked with numerous Arts and Heritage organisations including Bevis Marks Synagogue Heritage Foundation, Birmingham Museums Trust, Group for Education in Museums (GEM), Parliament UK; London Museum, Wimbledon Tennis Museum, Royal Ballet and Opera, Jane Austen’s House Museum and Wakefield Museum. Tali is a former primary school teacher. She is a GEM Freelance Rep.

Sharondeep Jawanda

Schools Manager

Sharondeep has worked in museum learning and engagement for over 10 years. She has held roles at The Postal Museum, East End Women’s Museum and Royal Museums Greenwich, working on programmes and projects for schools, families and communities. Sharondeep  is bringing her experience to Trent Park House of Secrets to develop the schools programme.

Louise Winchester

Volunteer Manager

Louise is a former primary teacher and early years manager with extensive experience of leading teams and working with diverse groups. The role of Volunteer Manager combines Louise’s passion for history, inspiring others through active learning and fostering links with local communities. Eager to engage volunteer historians to become champions of Trent Park’s impressive heritage, Louise looks forward to sharing the House’s secrets more widely.

Dr Giuseppe Albano MBE

Director

David Mlinaric CBE

Historic Decor Advisor

Lord Sassoon

Trustee Emeritus

Dr Simon Thurley

Senior Design & Business Planning Advisor

Tori Reeve

Exhibition Designer & Curator
Person wearing a green cardigan on a pink background

Chezzy Brownen

Programme Manager

Cynthia Wainwright

Fundraising Consultant

Lauren Gildersleve

Communications Manager & Consultant

David Page

Research Consultant

Kate Francis

Administrative Support

Caroline Marcus

Learning Consultant

Tali Krikler

Learning Consultant

Sharondeep Jawanda

Schools Manager

Louise Winchester

Volunteer Manager

Digital Museum Steering Committee

Dr Carla Brain

Steering Committee Member

Dr Carla Brain is a professional with experience in education and the voluntary sector. She holds a PhD in Archaeology, and is an experienced researcher, teacher, public speaker, and manager. Carla currently manages a children’s project for a local charity and is Vice-Chair of Governors at a local primary school. She is passionate about history, museums, and education and sharing those passions with others.

David Hay

Steering Committee Member

David Hay is a career archivist, records manager and heritage professional with over 35 years’ experience in the public and business sectors. Until retirement in 2020 he led BT Heritage and Archives, developing the function into a leading business archive recognised by UNESCO as a significant part of the UK’s cultural heritage, and one of the few corporate archives to be awarded Designated Collection status by Arts Council England and Archives Service Accreditation by The National Archives. David is also a trustee and board member of The National Library of Wales and a trustee director of the Sainsbury Archive.

Dorian Knight

Steering Committee Member

Dorian Knight is Cultural Heritage Development Officer at Enfield Council. He has worked in the heritage sector at the National Museum of Iceland and in the UK. He supported the Horniman Museum’s anthropology redisplay in 2018 and has led on community heritage engagement projects in the London Boroughs of Brent and Merton. He currently works on a range of cultural projects, including the NLHF bid for improvements to Broomfield House and Park as well as Untold Edmonton, a major cultural engagement initiative with communities in Edmonton.

Dr Matthew Laban

Steering Committee Member

Dr Matthew Laban is a headteacher and historian who grew up in Enfield. Matthew trained to be a teacher at Trent Park during the Middlesex University years and he has gone on to become a headteacher. His first two headships were in Enfield and he is now a headteacher of a secondary school in Hertfordshire. Matthew holds a PhD in History from the University of London and he is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. He also serves on the primary committee of The Historical Association.

Dr Carla Brain

Steering Committee Member

David Hay

Steering Committee Member

Dorian Knight

Steering Committee Member

Dr Matthew Laban

Steering Committee Member

Building Design & Construction

Kennedy O’Callaghan Architects

Project Architects

London based Architects, Kennedy O’Callaghan, are leading specialists in museum design and building conservation and are the Trust’s appointed architects. The practice specialises in Heritage Lottery funded projects, museums, historic building conservation and designing within sensitive settings. Their work has been illustrated in newspapers, magazines, exhibited at the RIBA galleries and has won awards.

MCA

Services Engineers

MCA is a Horsham-based practice of Building Services Consulting Engineers. Building services engineering systems are the collective name for the mechanical and electrical services within a building. Such services are usually conveyed around the building using pipes, ducts and cables and might include, for example, heating, cooling, ventilation, lighting, small power, security systems, fire safety and telecommunications. These systems are a significant element of the design for every building, ensuring that the indoor environment is healthy, safe and comfortable. MCA work creatively and collaboratively alongside clients, architects, and other professionals to design tailored building services systems, with a view to ensuring that buildings meet the needs of the people who use them. MCA has been associated with several award-shortlisted and award-winning developments and buildings.

Andrew Morton Associates

Quantity Surveyors

Andrew Morton Associates are Quantity Surveyors with a special interest in historic building conservation. The practice is particularly interested in the re-purposing of historic buildings for new uses including cultural or community use and has significant experience on Heritage Lottery funded projects.

Kennedy O’Callaghan Architects

Project Architects

MCA

Services Engineers

Andrew Morton Associates

Quantity Surveyors

Trent Park Museum Trust is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered with the Charity Commission in England and Wales with Registered Charity Number1169382.