So, if you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ll have noticed that I like places with a link to history. It is always interesting to visit somewhere and learn a bit about our pasts as we do so. As such, I have been asking my mum to visit Bletchley Park with me for a while now because it not too far from either of us, and she’s always enjoyed visiting these locations with me. We finally managed to arrange a time to go together over the Christmas period and it did not disappoint.

A Brief History and Overview of Bletchley Park

You’re possibly wondering why Bletchley Park is a place of historical significance. Well, it is because it was the location of the British Intelligence during WW2. It was a place of secrets, as no one was aware of its impact at the time or what was happening on the grounds. In fact, it was only revealed in 1974 and has only been opened to visitors since 1993.

The manor and grounds were bought by the British government as a place for the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS) or the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) as it is now known.

The layout changed over the years to fit the growing numbers of people and amount of technology that was required for the code breaking operations. It stands to reason that as the number of cyphers grew so did the effort to break them and as a consequence the location that this work took part as well. Originally the location was only a mansion with its surrounding grounds, but today you can traverse the multitude of huts that were set up and learn the different techniques that were used in each one.

Learning How to Solve Problems at Bletchley Park

Have you always though that you were good at puzzles? Because I can safely say that I have nothing on the code breakers that worked at Bletchley during the war. There are activities for you to do as you walk around the different exhibits, but you have instructions and hints, back then they wouldn’t have had any of that. It was the code breakers who created the solutions that you are using.

As you wander around, you learn just how these men and women created ways to decipher the messages that enemy forces were sending to each other. A lot of the time it was only through sheer determination that solutions were found.

Bletchley Park Women

Bletchley Park also demonstrates how big a part women had in the war effort. In fact, women actually outnumbered the men at Bletchley, making contributions to the code breaking.

The WRNs (Women’s Royal Naval Service) also helped with the codebreaking. They worked in teams in the “Hell Hole” more commonly known as Hut 11 to operate the Bombers. This hut was hot and incredibly noisy due to the machinery, hence the nickname.

Planning Your Visit to Bletchley Park

As is normal for my trips, we pre-booked our tickets online (usually because it is cheaper! ).It was to our great surprise that the ticket allows us to return multiple times in the year! It is something that we will definitely be taking advantage of because there was just so much to take in.

When we visited it was December, so it was a bit too cold to spend much time outside, but there is a gorgeous lake and plenty of green spaces. In the summer I can imagine that it would be a beautiful spot for a picnic should you be spending the day here. However, if you don’t feel like carrying your lunch with you there are places to buy refreshments.

Conclusion

This is definitely a site you won’t want to miss if you’re interested in history, particularly the war effort and curse breaking. Even if not, it is a beautiful site with plenty of activities for you to take part in. I would recommend a visit to Bletchley Park to anyone who asks.