Operation Hillside | Lifting the Official Secrets Act

Operation Hillside | Lifting the Official Secrets Act

From Back When | History Podcast by National Trust

February 11, 2026 · 23 min

About this episode

The episode explores the secret history of Hughenden Manor as a WWII intelligence base.

Behind the grand exterior of Hughenden Manor in Buckinghamshire is a secret history, that lay hidden for decades. A chance encounter between a former British intelligence operative and a volunteer uncovered mysteries from inside a once top-secret headquarters. Discover the story of how in the 1940s Hughenden Manor became a secret base for the Air Ministry to produce target maps for RAF Bomber Command. And helped shape the outcome of WWII. A listener note, a version of this episode first aired on the National Trust Podcast in 2021. Production Host: James Grasby Producer: Sean Douglas Sound editor: Jesus Gomez Discover more Find out more about visiting Hughenden Manor: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/oxfordshire-buckinghamshire-berkshire/hughenden

People in this episode

Host: James Grasby

Topics covered

  • World War II
  • British intelligence
  • Hughenden Manor
  • Air Ministry
  • target maps
  • secret history

Keywords

  • Hughenden Manor
  • Operation Hillside
  • RAF Bomber Command
  • British intelligence
  • World War II
  • target maps
  • Air Ministry

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: RAF Bomber Command

Books & works: National Trust Podcast

Places: Hughenden Manor, Buckinghamshire

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