Thatched Barn
Encyclopedia
The Thatched Barn was a two-storey mock-Tudor hotel built in the 1930s on the Barnet by-pass in Borehamwood
, that was bought by holiday camp founder, Billy Butlin
, before being requisitioned as Station XV by the Special Operations Executive
(SOE) in World War Two, and used to train spies. In the 1960s, it became a Playboy Club
, and later it became associated with Elstree Film Studios
, and used as a location for TV series The Saint
, and later The Prisoner
. The original building was torn down at the end of the 1980s, and replaced by a modern hotel., now the Holiday Inn
Elstree.
In 1939 Billy Butlin
purchased , the Thatched Barn as his first hotel however like his camps it was requisitioned (this time by the SOE
) before he could develop it further.
moved its Camouflage Section and main workshops to the Thatched Barn. creating a research facility to create camouflage, explosive devices, and coding equipment. Station XV was run by film director and World War I RAF veteran Capt. J. Elder Wills, who recruited stage prop experts and even magicians; British stage magician Jasper Maskelyne
was associated with the Station.
says that during the days before you could telephone America directly from outside London, he would drive to the Thatched barn to phone California, to cast his film Chato's Land (1972).
Borehamwood
-Film industry:Since the 1920s, the town has been home to several film studios and many shots of its streets are included in final cuts of 20th century British films. This earned it the nickname of the "British Hollywood"...
, that was bought by holiday camp founder, Billy Butlin
Billy Butlin
Sir William Heygate Edmund Colborne Butlin, , was a British, South Africa-born entrepreneur whose name is synonymous with the British holiday camp.American Heritage Dictionary 2004, p. 135.Scott 2001, p. 5...
, before being requisitioned as Station XV by the Special Operations Executive
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local...
(SOE) in World War Two, and used to train spies. In the 1960s, it became a Playboy Club
Playboy Club
The Playboy Club initially was a chain of nightclubs and resorts owned and operated by Playboy Enterprises. The first club opened at 116 E. Walton Street in downtown Chicago, Illinois, United States, on February 29, 1960. Each club generally featured a Living Room, a Playmate Bar, a Dining Room...
, and later it became associated with Elstree Film Studios
Elstree Studios
"Elstree Studios" refers to any of several film studios that were based in the towns of Borehamwood and Elstree in Hertfordshire, England, since film production begun in 1927.-Name:...
, and used as a location for TV series The Saint
The Saint (TV series)
The Saint was an ITC mystery spy thriller television series that aired in the UK on ITV between 1962 and 1969. It centred on the Leslie Charteris literary character, Simon Templar, a Robin Hood-like adventurer with a penchant for disguise. The character may be nicknamed The Saint because the...
, and later The Prisoner
The Prisoner
The Prisoner is a 17-episode British television series first broadcast in the UK from 29 September 1967 to 1 February 1968. Starring and co-created by Patrick McGoohan, it combined spy fiction with elements of science fiction, allegory and psychological drama.The series follows a British former...
. The original building was torn down at the end of the 1980s, and replaced by a modern hotel., now the Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn is a brand of hotels, formally a economy motel chain, forming part of the British InterContinental Hotels Group . It is one of the world's largest hotel chains with 238,440 bedrooms and 1,301 hotels globally. There are currently 5 hotels in the pipeline...
Elstree.
1930s: Roadhouse to the stars
In 1927, the Thatched Barn was commissioned by a Mrs Merrick and opened in 1934 as a "roadhouse", and a place where film stars could meet a lady.In 1939 Billy Butlin
Billy Butlin
Sir William Heygate Edmund Colborne Butlin, , was a British, South Africa-born entrepreneur whose name is synonymous with the British holiday camp.American Heritage Dictionary 2004, p. 135.Scott 2001, p. 5...
purchased , the Thatched Barn as his first hotel however like his camps it was requisitioned (this time by the SOE
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local...
) before he could develop it further.
1940s: SOE Station XV
In June 1942, the Special Operations ExecutiveSpecial Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local...
moved its Camouflage Section and main workshops to the Thatched Barn. creating a research facility to create camouflage, explosive devices, and coding equipment. Station XV was run by film director and World War I RAF veteran Capt. J. Elder Wills, who recruited stage prop experts and even magicians; British stage magician Jasper Maskelyne
Jasper Maskelyne
Jasper Maskelyne was a British stage magician in the 1930s and 1940s. He was one of an established family of stage magicians, the son of Nevil Maskelyne and a grandson of John Nevil Maskelyne. He could also trace his ancestry to the royal astronomer Nevil Maskelyne...
was associated with the Station.
1950s: Building Research centre
In the 1950s, the Ministry of Works used the Thatched Barn as Building Research Station, for example, to test concrete.1960s-1970s: Association with Elstree Studios
As an expensive hotel close to Elstree Film Studios, the Thatched Barn was used by film stars and film makers. Director Michael WinnerMichael Winner
Michael Robert Winner is a British film director and producer, active in both Europe and the United States, also known as a food critic for the Sunday Times.-Early life and early career :...
says that during the days before you could telephone America directly from outside London, he would drive to the Thatched barn to phone California, to cast his film Chato's Land (1972).
External links
- Thatched Barn history: Tommy Norton, "Playboy girls to rat bombs" in Borehamwood & Elstree Times, 9 December 2005 (retrieved 12 August 2007)
- Unmutual Prisoner Locations Guide (retrieved 12 Aug 2007)