Luxury Arkley home for sale at wartime spy base
Aformer spy base in Arkley, north London, is now for sale. Priced at £8.5 million, the newbuild 11,000 sq ft country house is on the site of a Second World War listening post, used by MI6 to spy on German signals for Winston Churchill. It has been given a modern makeover and is now known as Rowley Ridge. Standing in landscaped grounds, Rowley Ridge has six double bedrooms, a cinema, games room, gym, swimming pool and spa steam room. Agent is Beauchamp Estates.
Arkley’s role as an MI6 location began at the start of the war, when a radio security service was established there, to intercept illicit wireless messages operated by enemy agents in Britain and transmissions from German U-boats. For security reasons, the MI6 base was originally in HMS Prison Wormwood Scrubs but, as the prison began to suffer German air attacks in early 1940, it was decided to relocate to outer London and Arkley was chosen because it is 440ft above sea level — advantageous for capturing radio transmissions. Several houses were requisitioned and the teams stationed there helped support the code-breaking taking place at Bletchley Park.
After the war, the original Edwardian villa at Rowley Ridge, along with some of the other MI6 houses, were demolished for security reasons. Now the site on Rowley Green Road has been transformed by luxury developer Domvs London into Rowley Ridge. Highlights include a central three-storey atrium, with galleried landings on each floor and an oval glass roof cupola; a 70ft wide reception room spanning the back of the house; waterproof bathroom TVs and Crestron i-pad intuitive ‘Smart Home’ technology, air-conditioning and mood lighting.
Security features which would make M16 proud include a panic/safe room, CCTV, biometric entry system and the ability to fully control the house from anywhere in the world.