Bletchley Park

Bletchley Park:
Playing Buckinghamshire’s Part In World War II

Buckinghamshire has had its fair share of historical moments and events, but one stands out above all the rest. That something g was actually one of the turning points in World War II and took place at Bletchley Park. Bletchley Park is extremely important in the nation’s history because it was actually the place where the German Enigma code was cracked!

Bletchley Park is in Bletchley, which is today part of Milton Keynes. Back then, it was the most important code-breaking establishment in the Allied war effort and serves a great purpose. There was a number of Axis code cracked there during the course of the war, but none as important as Enigma. In short, Bletchley Park and those working within her could have saved a very different outcome in the war when all is said and done!

Bletchley Park is actually historically important for its existence before World War II as much as it is for its work during the war. The estate was in the Domesday Book, so it goes back at least to 1086. However, the house as it stands now was not there then. Instead, it was built in 1883 in place of the farmhouse that stood on the same ground. The owner, Sir Herbert Samuel Leon MP, could not seem to decide what kind of home he wanted and so it displays the biggest mix of styles in the UK today! It has a little Tudor, Baroque and Victorian Gothic all rolled into one and certainly makes for an interesting viewing!

Today, Bletchley Park is a museum. It celebrates the achievements of the cryptanalysts that helped to break code after code and includes the famous Station X, although he majority of equipment that was in use there and the blueprints for it were destroyed following the conclusion of the war. In fact, Bletchley Park did not open to the public until the 1970s and none of the secrets were revealed before that time. Despite that, the building was marked for demolition in 1991 until it was declared listed by the local council. Since 1999, it has been open to visitors so go and enjoy the history today!