Walpole House (Grade II listed) by Latchmore Pond, West Common. The oldest part of the building, once called Belleview Farm, dates from the 17th century. Its present name was coined by a Dutch diamond merchant who owned the house. During World War II HMS Walpole escorted ships carrying diamonds from the Netherlands to safety in England, an operation immortalised in the 1959 action film Operation Amsterdam.
Author: J Harrison