Coordinates: 51°32′46″N 0°32′02″W / 51.546°N 0.534°W / 51.546; -0.534 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.
Famous quotes containing the word hall:
“I may be able to spot arrowheads on the desert but a refrigerator is a jungle in which I am easily lost. My wife, however, will unerringly point out that the cheese or the leftover roast is hiding right in front of my eyes. Hundreds of such experiences convince me that men and women often inhabit quite different visual worlds. These are differences which cannot be attributed to variations in visual acuity. Man and women simply have learned to use their eyes in very different ways.”
—Edward T. Hall (b. 1914)