Bletchley Park

Bletchley Park is an English country house and estate in Milton Keynes, 50 miles north of London. Originally the eccentric home of the Leon family, Bletchley Park then came into the possession of MI6, becoming in 1938 a vital British intelligence centre.

Bletchley Park history

Bletchley Park first came into the hands of the Leon family in 1883, when Sir Samuel Herbert Leon purchased the land and began expanding its pre-existing farmhouse. The subsequent manor featured a combination of Tudor, Dutch Baroque, and Victorian Gothic architectural design, and remained the home of the Leons until 1937. It was then bought by a property developer with intentions to build a housing estate on the site, however Bletchley would be destined for other plans.

As Adolf Hitler’s campaign to invade Europe intensified, Bletchley Park was taken over by the government when MI6 leader Hugh Sinclair purchased the estate, deeming it the perfect place to move the Government Code and Cypher School in the event of war.

Over the course of the ensuing Second World War, a team of British codebreakers at Bletchley Park – then known by the codename Station X – managed to decipher the machinations of Enigma, the highly effective code encryption machine used by the Nazis. The British government were thus finally able to intercept German messages, and could begin to map their enemy’s military movements.

This team of code-breakers included mathematician Alan Turing, who is widely considered to be the father of theoretical computer science and artificial intelligence. It has been estimated that the work of Turing and his team at Bletchley Park shortened the war in Europe by more than 2 years, and saved the lives of around 14 million people.

Bletchley Park today

Today, visitors can explore the history of Bletchley Park and its role during the war, while walking the footsteps of its most important figures. An interactive multimedia guide is available at the Visitor Centre, which through the use of re-enactments and interviews with Veterans truly helps to bring to life the once-secretive Bletchley Park.

Bletchley’s many fascinating exhibitions may be enjoyed, as visitors explore the the site’s various wartime buildings. Exhibits range from codebreaking in World War One and the role of pigeons in World War Two, to online privacy and security in the 21st century and the life of Alan Turing, the latter of which features an impressive statue of his likeness.

The 19th century mansion can be explored, alongside Alan Turing’s office and Hut 8 where the Enigma code was broken, while the rebuilt codebreaking machine itself – the Bombe – is also on display.

Getting to Bletchley Park

Bletchley Park is located in Bletchley, Milton Keynes, and can be reaching by taking Junction 13 off the M1. There is limited parking at the site, however Bletchley train and bus stations are a few minutes walk away therefore it may be advisable to travel via public transport.