Bletchley Park Visit - The Imitation Game

Bletchley Park Visit - The Imitation Game 

After watching The Imitation Game on BBC IPlayer we decided that we needed to visit Bletchley Park to find out more about the history of the site and the story that changed part of history. 

Alan Turing and his team developed the bombe machines which turned Blecthley Park into a codebreaking factory during the war. From as early as 1943 the machines were breaking a total of 84,000 Enigma codes every month alone. This is worked at two messages every minute. 

Turing himself personally cracked the Enigma code that was being used by the U-Boats going after the North Atlantic merchant convoys. 

The booking process to visit was very straight forward. The website provides a great wealth of knowledge that you can use for your booking. The official website is Bletchley Park Website

Tickets can be booked in advance and then become your annual pass so you can return within the year for future visits.

When we arrived we found the car parks fairly busy but we were directed to where we needed to be. On entry you can pick up your tickets and have the options for Guidebooks as well. I would highly recommend one as they have a lot of information including maps that can be used for your visit. 

After entering we decided to stop for lunch in the cafe. Whilst there was a variation of snacks available I would advise if you have allergies to check on availability as we found gluten free options very limited. 

When leaving the main entrance building you walk up the hill towards the lake and the main mansion house. The grounds are beautifully maintained and have nods to the history that took place there. 

Whilst there are walking tours available with the guides you are free to look around the grounds in your own time. We chose to do one of the tours which gave a great insight to the history of what we had come to see. 

On the walks you can see different Huts where the teams worked. They have been preserved so you can see the offices and areas that were there during the war. 

It was incredible to see all of this up close including the Bombe machines. You really do get a great idea of what took place and how the teams worked. 

We did have a look in the Mansion House towards the end of our visit and it was lovely to see how it has been preserved and what is on display there. 

After our visit we did get some things from the gift shop. They have ranges available for all ages from young to old so there is something for everyone. 

I am looking forward to returning to see more of the site. Whilst it is recommended a good 4 hours for your visit I can see why people return to see more.