A day out at Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire

In a previously secret location near the village of Bletchley in the county of Buckinghamshire lies the Bletchley Park estate. This was where the tide of World War II was turned by the intelligence, dedication and downright hard work of the men and women who were Allied code breakers. This was where the Enigma and Lorenz codes were broken, and where top-secret German communications could be decoded and used to promote the Allied cause. According to official sources, “Ultra” intelligence produced at Bletchley Park was able to shorten the war by two to four years. Without this advantage from the Allies, the outcome of the war would have been uncertain.

The Beginning

In 1991 the Bletchley Park Trust was formed to save large portions of the site from development. In the late 2000s, following lottery and private funding, Bletchley Park was opened to the public. It now houses a range of interpretive exhibits and rebuilt huts as they would have appeared during their wartime operation. The separate National Museum of Computing, which includes a working replica Bombe machine and a rebuilt Colossus computer, is housed in Block H on the site. This is about a 5 minutes’ walk from the reception area.

The Estate

Visitors will find a beautiful and peaceful country estate, with the famously picturesque lake, around which, there are many lovely areas for a picnic. The reception area is in Block C, adjacent to the carpark. There is plenty of room to park, with over 100 car spaces. There is an overflow carpark a bit further on as well.

However, if you want to be a bit more eco-conscious, the Park is a 15-minute walk from Bletchley Town centre. And just a 7-minute walk from Bletchley railway station.

Block C is where you present your ticket. There is an introductory exhibition that shows you who worked at the Park during the war years.

The gift shop is situated here too, where there are gifts for everyone! Oh and I can’t forget the Block C Coffee Shop – great place for a light lunch, drink and cake.

As you leave Block C, don’t forget to take advantage of the audio tour headsets. These are included in the ticket price and brings everything you see to life; the children loved it.

The Mansion

If you walk around the lake and through the trees you will come to the mansion. Here you’ll find exhibitions of offices and people. Also here is the library, and specialist exhibitions of how the building would have operated in the war years. The radio mast, which can be seen around the side of the building, used to run a cable down to the yew tree at the front of the mansion. It was disguised by the water tower. The radio room is also located here, but it cannot currently be visited.

Further around the mansion are the garages, displaying wartime vehicles and also the secret gate for delivering intelligence messages.

There are also the stables and yard, where the fundamental work was carried out on the Enigma code by Alan Turing. Further around are the huts where translation and routine communication work was carried out.

Next to the Mansion, on the left, you’ll find the Hut 4 Café … We ate here, and the hot food was delicious.

Return visit

There are a lot of exhibits at Bletchley Park, and – for us anyway – too much to see in one day. So, it is a case of seeing, believing and then coming back another day to do the rest! Your ticket gives you unlimited visits for a year, so is excellent value. A family ticket (2 adults, 2 children aged 12-17) is £54.60. Adults are £21, children under 12 are free.

We are definitely planning another visit, once lockdown lifts.