BLETCHLEY PARK

[Gil Boyd]

Went yesterday to Bletchley Park, which was always on my bucket list. This is where all the codes and cyphers were cracked by some brilliant men and women during WW2.
Some of the most crucial decoding in WW2 was from the Uboat packs and also leading up to an including D-DAY.
The old manor house surrounded by nissan huts, each with its own task, started life with about 80 people in the early days, and as the war went on 9,000 worked in complete secrecy from the Park. Besides British mathmeticians working there, there some brilliant Polish scientists too, who cracked a lot of the technical stuff.

If you get a chance, it is a must to visit. The national radio museum is there to. I met a good friend I haven't seen for many years from 264 Sigs SAS there who is a guide now on Fridays. A great day out. Too much to take in in one day so I'll be going back sometime soon. Fascinating when you think the first computer was born there, and all the sophisticated German cypher machines were cracked by these clever men and women a long time ago!!



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Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Flying10uk]

How much bigger, roughly, was the original WW2 Bletchley Park code braking site than is open to the public today, please? To put it another way, how much of the original site has been lost to other purposes/uses, please?

[Gil Boyd]

Its a massive site now, if you can imagine a grand manor house next to a lake, surrounded by numerous brick built WW2 building with wooden floors and no heating thats the one side of life which will take you all day to see which each hut was up to.
There is a like minded sized site next to the car park which they haven't even started on yet as they need money to complete it. Best have a look at aerial views that migh help answer your question more accurately.

[Sunray]

"...a grand manor house..." As I recall, from whatever the book was, the basement of the manor house was where all the work was done.
This will help if you're over that way and are looking for something to do. snicker.
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[Mk VII]

I haven't been there for many years, but there was a British Telecom telephone exchange that occupied part of the site that was obviously newer, and a 1960s (I think) building in the middle distance which was not part of the museum estate and which was a relic of its Cold War days.

Alanbrooke's diary contained an explicit reference to what went on there, haven't checked if the 1950s-edited publication of it slipped past the censorship.

[Gil Boyd]

Probably a lot more to come out when "they" feel its right to disclose it

[Gil Boyd]

Here's the map of the site currently.

[30Three]

I have read about Bletchley Park. It is indeed one of the most important sites in British WWII history.
I definitely want to visit when I get time in the UK.