Julia Hunter of Warfield, Berkshire writes: My mother and her family stayed with their cousins at Berkhampstead Place during the second world war. I know that the house has now been pulled down and I think a housing estate is it its place but I am trying to investigate the family and their houses further and cannot find much out about Berkhamstead Place. Who owned it? How big was it? When was it built? and knocked down? Any help you can give me or point me in the right direction would be appreciated.

The book Berkhamsted: An Illustrated History contains quite a quite a lot of information about the house, including interior pictures in 1950 - which may have been as your mother knew it. I have not checked but the Victoria County History of Hertfordshire probably has quite a bit about its ownership before about 1900.

Berkhamsted Place was built in about 1580, using materials from the nearby ruined castle, and over the years there have been many changes of ownership and occupancy. In the early part of the 20th century it was the home of Mr. S. J. Ram K.C., who was followed by his son, Sir Granville Ram, the first Parliamentary Council ti the Treasury in 1937. Shortly after the Second World War the house - which then had nine bedrooms plus five staff bedrooms, was empty and put up for sale. It was converted into flats, but this was unsuccessful and the house was demolished in 1967.

If you can add to the information given above tell me.