Bletchley Park, known as the centre of operations for British intelligence and codebreaking during World War Two is a must for any history buff visiting London. Below you will find everything you need to know to help you plan your visit.
History
Originally built as a country estate home, Bletchley Park has now been immortalised as the stories of what took place there have started to be come to light and be told (after remaining top secret for over 30 years). In the late 1870’s architect Samuel Seckham purchased the property we now know today as Bletchley Park and built a house there. This was then added to by several others over the following decades and combined a number of different styles.
In 1938 the British government bought a part of the estate (it was much larger back then) to house their Government Code and Cypher School (GC &CS) in the lead up to war. It was thought that war was on the cards and it was best to be prepared. In light of this, having a site to base your intelligence and codebreaking operations was seen as imperative, especially one that is located rurally and was less likely to be the subject of enemy bombing (much more likely, if not inevitable, if your headquarters were to be based in London).
War work first begun in the mansion, then into the huts that were built rather quickly and then into the concrete blocks, most of which are still standing today. It was here that we saw the world’s first large-scale electric digital computer and the complex task of intercepting, deciphering, analysing and distributing the intelligence that came from enemy radio signals took place. This was all done under the highest levels of secrecy and those that were employed at BP had to sign a declaration (known as the Offical Secrets Act) where they swore to never reveal any details of their work or what took place at Bletchley.
The majority of the workforce here were women and the people were an eclectic bunch. Some were veteran cryptanalysts from WWI and others were from a range of academic backgrounds. People with a unique set of skills were often recruited ‘on the down low’ and some of the best minds lived and worked here. Many historians have claimed that the work that took place here saved millions of lives and was thought to have shortened the war by about two years.
After the war, the site had many different uses including a training centre for the Civil Aviation Authority and the General Post Office. It was saved by a group of local historians in 1992 from developers and their bulldozers, and the site was preserved for the nation.
Today it sees many visitors (both local and foreign tourists) and is a way of making sure the stories of the people who contributed to the Allied victory (and the modern world we have today) are never forgotten.
Fun fact: this location was actually incredibly strategic. The train station is 200 m from the entrance to the complex and you could have easily picked up a connection to London back in the day. There was also another train line running East-West with Cambridge on one end and Oxford on the other. Many of the academics, mathematicians etc at these universities were able to come across and provide their assistance to the efforts that took place here. Many of the employees were sourced from such places. And, if those factors weren’t compelling enough there was a telecommunications hub a few miles down the road that enabled you to be able to communicate with anyone all over the country. It was also located at least 90 miles from the coastline and was isolated in the countryside (in a measure to protect from threat of foreign invasion or being detected from aerial reconnaissance- given that there was nothing specific to indicate from the air the real purpose and importance of this place).
Getting There
Today, going from London to Bletchley is an easy 35-40 minute train journey from London’s Euston Station. Sometimes a bit longer if the train is making more stops. You should plan for a commute time between 35 min and 1 hour. Once you arrive at Bletchley Station and head towards the exit and main road (Sherwood Drive), turn RIGHT and follow the signs for Bletchley. You will then take the first left onto Jemima Way and walk straight up the drive into the Visitor centre and entrance. From the platform to the visitor centre entrance is no more than 5 min on foot at a stroll. Can’t get any better or easier than that!
NOTE: the cost of the train tickets (in my opinion) is pretty steep. You can purchase at the station on the day or online and get your ticket emailed to you. I recommend buying online beforehand (even if it is as you are walking to the train station on the day) as it looks like this can be slightly cheaper at times.
I booked mine through Trainline. I did mine as two one way tickets (the open ended return was …RIDICULOUS) And, I am all about MORE money in my pocket to have fun with when I travel. I also did not want to select a specific time for my return train in the morning as I did not know how long I would need to spend out there and did not want to be forced to rush the experience and run for the exact train I had booked to get me back. So, once I had decided I was ready to leave I booked my return train online while wandering around the gift shop.
Opening Hours
Bletchley Park is open every day from 9.30am. In the winter months it closes at 4pm and 5 pm in the summer. Last entry is always two hours before closing time.
Cost
Adults £21.00 ($40 AUD)
Concession (Students and Over 60) £ 18.50 ($35 AUD)
Youth (12 – 17years) £12.50 ($24 AUD)
Children (under 12) FREE
There are also family tickets offered: ($62.50 or $102 AUD)
What to see and do
The Lake: Where picnicking and recreation activities would take for the employees at Bletchley
The Mansion: Where work originally started and where you will find Commander Denniston’s Office (head of GC & CS).. The Library was also in here and is set up much like it would have been back in the 1940’s. During WWII this building served as the headquarters and recreational building. Major codebreaking was initially based here before being expanding into the huts.
Hut 6: was built in the winter of 1939-1940 for deciphering of Enigma messages pertaining to the German army and airforce. (building has been restored to its wartime condition and is open to visitors).
Hut 3: Once the German army and airforce Enigma messages had been deciphered in Hut 6, they were passed on to Hut 3 for translation and analysis (building has been restored to its wartime condition and is open to visitors).
Hut 8: This was built in January 1940 with the purpose of deciphering communications sent by the German navy. The information deciphered in this hut to reduce the destruction brought on by German U-boats in the Atlantic. And, you can even go INSIDE Alan Turing’s office! (building has been restored to its wartime condition and is open to visitors).
Hut 4: The main job here was to translate and analyse German naval Enigma messages deciphered by Hut 8. Today Hut 4 is used as the cafe where you can grab yourself a very well earned hot lunch.
Hut 11 + 11A: These buildings housed the bombe machines developed by Alan Turing to speed up the search for the Enigma cipher keys used by the German army, airforce, navy and secret service. They replaced earlier wooded huts as such precious machines needed extra protection. Hut 11A tells you about the breakthrough with the Bombe machine and Hut 11 gives you the story through the eyes of the people who worked there. (building is open to visitors).
The Museum (Block B): This houses exhibitions relating to the life and work of Alan Turing, wartime life at BP and has a display of Enigma machines!
Tips
Food: Let’s start with the most important LOL! There are a few different places at BP to fuel up during the day. I happened to pack my own lunch but it was so cold that I felt the need to scrap that idea and get myself a nice warm soup.
Duration: The recommended visit time is between 2 to 5 hours. I definitely think 2 hours is far too short but feel confident that this can be done as a half day trip if you are a little shorter on time. You can definitely spend all day if you wish as there is so much to engage with and so much to READ, but I got to a point where I couldn’t take it anymore..but of information overload and I think this may have had something to do with the cold (I went out there on FREEZING winters day just before Christmas).
I think I got there just before 11am (10.15am train from Euston) and got myself on the 3.30pm train back to London. I thought that this was sufficient and also meant that I could give myself a small sleep in, which is always a nice little luxury. In retrospect it would have been good for me to spend a little more time in the museum section at the end but I was really ready to sit back on the train and zone out with a nap.
Tour or self guided?: I would do a mix of both. The guided tour is free to all those who have paid their entry into BP. It lasts for one hour and gives you some great insight into the work that took place here, some of the people that worked here and gives you a chance to ask any questions you may have that might not be answered by the information boards in each building. The tour starts in the Chauffeurs Hut with a small introductory talk (10 min) and then the rest of it is all outdoors. You don’t go inside any of the buildings during the tour (this is all done at your own pace and self guided). These run at different times of the day, double check at the information desk once you enter and book into the one you want. You will get a coloured coded bracelet that corresponds with your chosen tour time. This is to make sure the groups don’t get too big and for the guides to know roughly how many they are waiting on before beginning.
I must say that the tour I had there was one of the best I have ever had. The guide (shoutout to Harold!) was FANTASTIC! Very knowledgable, funny, entertaining and just made the whole experience. He was even able to expand and tell us things about code breaking efforts in Australia (once he learned there was an Aussie <ME> on the tour).
Recommended route: Upon arrival you are given a map by one of the lovely staff when paying your admission and receiving your ticket to enter. This route is pretty solid and it is the one that I followed. I started by taking a little stroll around the lake and then met at the start point for the tour. I liked starting the day with the tour and then going about the rest of the site on my own. Once the tour concluded I went back to Hut 4 (the CAFE) to grab a light lunch and began working my way around the site from there.
My overall thoughts
Definitely recommend. It was great to look at the Allied history of WWII in such a different, unique and significant way…one that does not always get as much attention as it should, and one that I feel is really left out in our school curriculum in Australia.
I do think that the price for the day (return train tickets from London plus admission is a bit steep and therefore is not that friendly to a backpacker budget. But, if you can spare the $100 AUD in your budget then I think you have found yourself a good day out where you can learn a lot 🙂
To close, I thought I would leave you with a few quotes that really encapsulate how crucial this place was and how special it still is…
The work here at Bletchley Park…was utterly fundamental to the survival of Britain…I’m not actually sure that I can think of very many places where I could say something as unequivocal as that. This is sacred ground. If this isn’t worth preserving, what is?
Professor Richard Holmes, Military Historian
No wonder Churchill described this effort [the British codebreakers working at Bletchley Park) as Britain’s “secret weapon”, a weapon far more effective than the buzz bombs and the rockets that Werner von Braun, designed for a German victory, a weapon absolutely decisive, in the judgement of many, in winning the war for the Allies
Peter Hilton, British mathematician who worked at BP alongside Alan Turing
Leave a Reply