Gaynes Hall

Gaynes Hall is a Grade II* listed Georgian mansion located in Perry, Cambridgeshire, set on 20 acres of parkland. The property has a rich history dating back to the Engaine family, who likely built the original house as part of their Dillington manor. By 1238, Viel de Engaine had a private chapel there, though only fragments of the moat remain today.

Sir Oliver Cromwell, uncle of the Protector, leased the estate from 1599 to 1620 and sublet it to his brother Richard. In 1664, Sir James Beverley purchased the property, which stayed in his family until 1717 when General Thomas Handasyd, a former Governor of Jamaica, acquired it. His son George passed it to Elizabeth Galley in 1771.

During World War II, Gaynes Hall was requisitioned and used by the Special Operations Executive (SOE) as ‘Station 61’, serving as headquarters for Air Liaison Officers and a temporary residence for agents before missions. Post-war, it became the administrative office and governor's house for Gaynes Hall Borstal until its closure in 1983.

In 1985, AIM Cambridge purchased the hall and renovated it, but the company closed within two years. The Ministry of Defence sold it to a private company in 1990, and restoration began in 1994. By May 2021, the property was valued at £3.45m. Today, Gaynes Hall is privately owned, with its house and gardens accessible only to the owners.