How long can you keep a secret?
A day, a week, a month?
The men and women of Bletchley Park kept silent for … sixty … seventy … eighty years or more. And, as the annual VE day celebrations remind us, war heroes come from many different walks of life.
Those who worked at Bletchley Park said little or nothing about the role they played in World War Two.
That’s the sound of secrets.
On the day we visited, Bletchley Park was quiet and peaceful. A tree lined avenue leads to a beautiful English country house, with duck pond, tennis courts, carefully tended lawns and … a cluster of long, low huts.
The now-famous huts, built over rose gardens and flower beds. Huts that once rattled with the clicks and whirrs of well-oiled machines, the clatter of typewriters, the rustle of paper and the bustle of human traffic.
Today, those same huts stand almost silent and serene. Full of mystery, intrigue and human ingenuity.
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….bletchleyparkxscf1940sqoithbtheintelligencefactorywplfuyenigmaxeisecretokfgcodebreakerspaklflxworldwar2prmhualanturing….
A day at Bletchley Park
To be fair, a day is barely enough to scrape the surface of this incredible place.
Mothballed at the end of World War Two, paper shredded, machines dismantled, and its inhabitants dispersed, Bletchley remained shrouded in secrecy.
Whispers and echoes seeped into the nation’s minds, films and TV shows hinted at behind-the-scenes activity, but those who really knew held their peace.
Not until 1974, when Frederick William Winterbotham was allowed to publish his memoir, The Ultra Secret, did the world begin to learn what exactly had been achieved there.
Now their stories can be told, and the once top-secret home of the Codebreakers is a vibrant heritage attraction, packed with hands-on activities, original documents, reconstructions and, best of all, the voices of some of those who actually worked there.
The history of Bletchley Park
In the 1930s, while some movers and shakers couldn’t believe that another war was on its way, a group of far-sighted folk gathered in the Buckinghamshire countryside.
Known as Captain Ripley’s Shooting Party, they were convinced that conflict was coming, and that intelligence-gathering and code-breaking would be vital.
Putting together service professionals along with commercial and diplomatic experts, they began quietly recruiting the brightest and best mathematicians and puzzle-solvers.
Their aim was to develop and improve the code-breaking work that had begun in the first world war.
Bletchley Park, bought privately, was the perfect location. Away from London and the threat of air raids, secluded but well-connected with road and rail routes and with plenty of room to grow.
And grow they did.
From a team of just 150 in 1939 to nearly 10,000 people by 1945, the majority of them women, Bletchley Park became a giant, humming web of intelligence.
And it’s the people – not just the brilliant minds of Alan Turing, Gordon Welchman and Bill Tutte, but the thousands of civilians and uniformed staff who kept the whole place running – that Bletchley Park celebrates today.
Keeping secrets
It’s hard to describe a day at Bletchley without giving too much away.
There is so much to see and do, and the thrill is to explore, discover and take on board what interests you most.
While Pork Belly wandered off, photographing the buildings, the machines, the peaceful lakeside and the glorious old mansion, I lingered a long time at each display, reading the old memos, listening to the personal stories of the secretaries, cooks, cleaners, dispatch riders and others who kept the place going.
Before long, you begin to see the vast, interconnectedness of it all.
The interceptors at the stations across the country, hearing and meticulously recording messages that were rushed to Bletchley for decoding.
Those who designed, built and ran the Bombes – noisy, smelly and temperamental machines capable of cracking codes far faster than any human brain.
The cryptologists who worked on those decoded messages, spotting the unusual, making connections, thinking outside the box.
The admin staff who collated and kept every scrap of information that might prove useful later, even down to the health of foreign leaders or the birth of a general’s child.
The dispatch riders who took messages in and out of Bletchley, without ever knowing the importance of the information they carried.
The managers who kept the place running, and the staff (moderately) well-fed and entertained.
And of course the brilliant minds and their inventions which underpin so much of our technology today.
Alan Turing
The name is familiar now, especially to those who enjoyed Benedict Cumberbatch’s portrayal in The Imitation Game, but for years Turing’s achievements were overshadowed by the condemnation of the establishment, because he was gay.
At Bletchley Park, Turing is given his rightful place in history and his work is celebrated.
Reading, and barely understanding, the scale of what he achieved, it’s hard not to wonder just what other advances we would have today if he had been allowed to live out his life in peace.
Even more poignant is the display of personal effects that bring Turing to life – his intelligence, his quirky sense of humour and his family ties.
The people of Bletchley Park
With the lifting of the veil of secrecy (although many staff took their stories to the grave) the whole experience comes to life.
But Bletchley isn’t just about the awesome, unique and extraordinary leaps of imagination and intelligence of the great names.
I was drawn to the smaller, dedicated and determined actions of the many.
Punching cards, filing data, tapping out messages, sweeping floors, literally greasing the wheels, for eight, ten or twelve hours a day. Repetitive, boring and tiring work.
I love crosswords, but I couldn’t spot the simple anomaly in a coded message that cracked an entire system open.
The maths problems set my head in a spin and I knew I’d never have the patience and dedication to learn Morse code only to spend hours, headphones clamped to ears, transcribing a series of random letters, without any meaning.
Thousands did, though.
And they are the ones who are honoured today at Bletchley Park.
Intelligence gathering in the 21st century
If you think Bletchley Park is all about the past, think again.
Dotted throughout the site, rubbing shoulders with the wartime exhibits and reconstructions, are numerous fascinating insights into how technology is changing our world today.
From art installations to city planning, holidays to weather warnings, there’s much to learn.
If the amateur radio enthusiasts are on hand in the National Radio Centre, you can follow satellites in real time, hear voices from around the world and maybe even contact the International Space Station.
The Intelligence Factory, which opened in April 2022, uses the latest tech to recreate the challenges that faced the wartime codebreakers and the responsibility they had for shaping military operations.
You can try your hand at spotting hidden codes, work out mathematical probabilities with virtual coins and cards, intercept messages and move convoys on a giant, interactive map.
From now until 2026 there’s a special exhibition explaining how Artificial Intelligence is changing our world today and shaping the future.
And throughout the exhibitions, there’s a quiet nod to the covert security work that still goes on, no longer in an elegant country house, but in the purpose built ‘Doughnut’ of GCHQ in Gloucestershire.
A far cry from the dark and dingy huts of Bletchley Park where intelligence history was made.
Amazing Facts about Bletchley Park
- Around 10,000 staff worked there in 1945
- The majority of staff were women
- Few were older than 24
- 13,990 messages were decrypted each week in January 1945
- The Bombe Hut was nick-named the ‘Hell-Hole’ because of the working conditions
- Staff on the night shift in Hut 6 were amongst the first people to know when Germany surrendered, but they kept it secret until the public announcement of VE Day.
Getting to Bletchley Park
The visitor centre is located near Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire.
Coming by car, take Junction 13 off the M1. If you’re using SatNav, the best location is Sherwood Drive MK3 6DS.
Regular bus and train services run to the site.
Many of those who worked at Bletchley Park during World War Two cycled in for their shift. You can too as Bletchley Park is part of the local Redways network of cycle paths.
For ticket prices, opening times and special events, see Bletchley Park’s website. An Audio-Visual tour is included and when you need a break there are two cafés: The Coffee Shop at the visitor centre and Hut 4 Café for hot food and children’s lunch packs.
Accessibility at Bletchley Park
Most of the museum is on level ground with gravelled paths.
All the exhibitions are at ground floor level and there are ramps for easy access. Assistance dogs are welcome, and they have wheelchairs available if you need to borrow one.
Sound enhancement systems for hearing aid users are available for selected tours. Full details on accessibility options are on their website.
Disclaimer: We were the guests of Bletchley Park. All opinions are our own.
All photographs copyright ©rosemaryandporkbelly
Where to next?
• Military history in action at Shoreham Fort
• Wings Museum
• Museums of the weird and wonderful