The WWII code-breaking centre at Bletchley Park was a well-kept secret for years. When the fact of its existence was de-classified, the buildings on the site became the object of attention, and eventually a Trust was set up to preserve the more noteworthy buildings, establish a museum of codebreaking and explain the significance of what went on at the site. Here, the German Enigma code was broken. During the war, thousands of people were employed here, and there was cutting-edge work in developing machine aids for decryption. The electromechanical “Bombe” was invented to help crack Enigma and the electronic computer “Colossus” was invented to help crack the more difficult “Tunny” teleprinter code.
If you visit, there is a lot to see, and one day might not be enough. Guided tours of the various buildings are available, taking in the Mansion, (an opulent if rather mongrel Edwardian mansion), various brick out-buildings of the mansion, some near-indestructible bomb-proofed concrete huts, and some decaying wooden huts with famous numbers, as well as Bombe and Colossus reconstructions.
Then there is the Museum of Codebreaking, where you can try to get your head around how decrypting Enigma actually worked, and other huts with displays about spies, daily life at Bletchley Park during the war, and so forth. Did you know that British military planes used to carry a pigeon so that the bird could carry a message back if the plane came down? I didn’t.
In addition there are other historic displays that share the Bletchley Park site, from TNMOC – the National Museum of Computing, the cine projector museum with mini cinema and newsreel shows, the display of ship models, and others. These ‘other’ groups have their own opening times – check websites.
There is also a series of lectures, which explore war and codebreaking topics in some depth.
Also, there is a miscellany of Events, seemingly ranging from parades of military vehicles to almost anything else.
If you are interested in history, war, or codebreaking, you should find something to interest you here.
Bletchley Park is open daily, but this does not apply to associates such as TNMOC, so check before travelling. Parts of the mansion may be in use for commercial activities on any day except Sundays.
Bletchley Park admission is not expensive considering the amount to be seen, and permits repeated re-admission for 12 months.
Please note that there is a £3 charge for parking in the grounds. Bletchley Park entrance is about 100 yards from Bletchley railway station.