The Grange, Canon's Hill, Coulsdon, Greater London
This building has a long history. In the Middle Ages a monastic grange was located to the rear of the present property. It was occupied by the Abbot's bailiff. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries the property passed to Sir Nicholas Carewe. The rear part of the present building was thought to have been added in 1625 and the front added c1720. In 1850 it was renamed The Grange. In 1940 the building became the control centre for Kenley Airport. It played an important role for front line operations in Northern Europe during the Battle of Britain in WW2. A first floor ceiling was removed to produce a perimeter gallery where the Controller and his staff could see the map of S E England on the Operations table below. An advance in radio communications was also carried out here at the end of 1940 with a Very High Frequency System which improved reception. Famous people who visited at this time include Winston Churchill, the Australian statesman Robert Menzies, Lord Nuffield and King George VI.
