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BLETCHLEY PARK HOUSE

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A country house built between 1871-81 probably by Samuel Lipscomb Seckham. In 1883 the house was sold to Hubert Leon who extensively extended and remodelled it in several phases between 1883 and the mid 1920s. The house is predominantly Old English in style with a mix of late Victorian and Edwardian trends.

In 1937 the estate was owned by Hubert Faulkner who had intended to demolish the house and redevelop the estate. However, it was acquired by Admiral Hugh Sinclair to house the Government Code and Cipher School for the duration of the war. This organisation was responsible for the breaking enemy codes, notably the German Enigma codes. The organisation moved into the house, stables and other estate buildings on the 1st August 1939. Plasterboard huts were built in the grounds in phases in 1939 and 1940-41 shortly followed by more permanent blocks. A number of off site outstations were also established including bombe outstations at Wavendon (Monument HOB UID 1535472), Adstock (HOB UID 1535589), Gayhurst (HOB UID 344934), Stanmore (HOB UID 1535542) and Eastcote (HOB UID 1400211).

In 1946 the main part of Government Code and Cipher School moved out of Bletchley Park to Eastcote (HOB UID 1400211) but the Government Communications Headquarters training school was retained here until 1987, within the east end of Bock D and Bock C. The house together with part of the site, was used until 1993 by the General Post Office as offices. Until the 1990s the rest of the site was used by government agencies including the Ministry of Aviation, the General Post Office, the Diplomatic Wireless Service and the Ministry of Works. A teacher training college also used the site until 1976.

The post war use of the site has involved demolition of some of the estate and wartime buildings and structures. In 1992 the Bletchley Park Trust was formed to maintain the site. The house and part of the estate was opened to the public as Bletchley Park National Codes Centre Museum in 1994.

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A large house built in 1860, altered and extended in 1883-6 and circa 1906 for Herbert Leon. During the Second World War the house and grounds were used by the Government Code and Cipher School - the organisation responsible for breaking enemy codes, notably the German Enigma codes. After the war the house was used by the Post Office (later British Telecom) as part of a training school. Built of red brick in Flemish bond with ashlar dressings, the principle gables are half-timbered with pebble-dashed infill, some of the others are tile-hung. The roof is of Welsh slate with a red tile ridge. (1)

The Bletchley park estate was aquired by the British Government in 1937. It became a centre of signals intelligence for the foreign Office's Code and Cipher School (GCCS) and the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS). Its main task in the Second World War was to be in the forefront of "Ultra": that is the breaking of axis codes, especially the German codes produced by the "enigma" and "Lorenz" machines. Between 1939 and 1944, more huts and blocks were added to to the complex in order to house code breakers and their equippment, including the massive Colossus Computer. Amongst the key pioneers were Alan Turing, Gordon Welchman and Harold "Doc" Keen. The site is not only important for the code breaking work that helped to save many Allied lives and which many claim arguably shorted the war as well as for establishing unprecedented intelligence sharing amongst the allies; but also as the birth place of the information technology age and the computer. (2)

The Bletchly Park website includes visitor details as well as history and news features. (3)

Bletchley Park is currently (2009) the case study for a pan-university project in looking at ways that more recent heritage can be interpreted; for example through oral history, archaeology, GIS applications, environmental studies and even music. At a workshop members of the Bletchley Park Trust in particular stressed not only the improtance of the site for the development of Information Technology, but also as the place where the special relationship between the USA and Britain was cemented due to previously unprecedented sharing of military intelligence. (4)

A detailed survey of the built fabric and function of the Bletchley Park complex. (5)

The house was built between 1871-81possibly by Samuel Lipscomb Seckham and was originally a U-shaped building with three ranges open to the west. In 1883 the house was sold to Hubert Leon who was responsible for the extensive enlargement and remodelling in several phases between 1883 and the mid 1920s.

The style of the house is predominantly Old English with a mix of late Victorian and Edwardian trends. Projecting bay windows are of different shapes and sizes. It is built of brick with ashlar dressings and mock timber framing.

The estate was sold to Hubert Faulkner in 1937 who had intended to demolish the house, however, the house and estate were acquired by Admiral Hugh Sinclair to house the Government Code and Cipher School and parts of MI6. The house was used by several sections of the Government Code and Cipher School and alterations were made, including construction of a telephone exchange, now demolished, on the south front.

The cipher school moved into the house on the 1st August 1939 and originally was housed within the house, the stables and other estate buildings. Expansion of accomodation took place between August and December 1939 and included construction of the first timber and plasterboard huts, Huts 1 to 5. Additional hut building took place in 1940 and 1941 and were mainly situated around the house. Plans for the more permanent blocks were made in the summer of 1941 with construction taking place soon after. A number of off site outstations were also established including bombe outstations at Wavendon (Monument HOB UID 1535472), Adstock (HOB UID 1535589), Gayhurst (HOB UID 344934), Stanmore (HOB UID 1535542) and Eastcote (HOB UID 1400211). An outstation for part of the Hollerith Section was established at Drayton Parslow (Monument HOB UID 1535598).

In 1946 the main part of Government Code and Cipher School moved out of Bletchley Park but retained the Government Communications Headquarters training school here until 1987. The school was housed in the east end of Bock D and Bock C (Monument HOB UID 1440047). The house, together with part of the estate was used by the General Post Office, later British Telecom, as offices until 1993. It is now used by the Bletchley Park Trust.

The remainder of the site was used by various government agencies including the Ministry of Aviation (later Civil Aviation Authority) from 1947 until the 1990s, the Diplomatic Wireless Service from 1948 and the Ministry of Works. A teacher training college also used the site from 1947 until 1976. The post war use of the site has involved demolition of some of the estate and wartime buildings and structures.

In 1992 the Bletchley Park Trust was formed to maintain the site and opening it in 1994 to the public as part of Bletchley Park National Codes Centre Museum.

A comprehensive architectural investigation of the Bletchley Park complex has been published in 4 volumes. (6-9)

SOURCE TEXT

(1) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

District of Milton Keynes, added 10/05/1990

(2) Edited by Neil Forbes, Robin Page and Guillermo Pérez 2009 Europe's Deadly Century: perspectives on 20th century conflict heritage

Page(s)87-96

(3) World Wide Web page

Bletchley Park Trust. 2005-2009 Bletchley Park website http://www.bletchleypark.org.uk/ [Accessed 11-AUG-2009]

(4) Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments

(5) David Evans 2003 Bletchley Park: the development and historical function of the fabric

(6) Monkton, Linda; Wiliams, Andrew ; Grundon, Imogen; Barrett, Nathalie & Morrison, Kathryn 2004 Bletchley Park, Wilton Avenue, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, MK3 6EB. Historic Buildings Report; Architectural Investigation Reports and Papers B/010/2004

( 7) Monkton, Linda; Wiliams, Andrew ; Grundon, Imogen; Barrett, Nathalie & Morrison, Kathryn 2004 Bletchley Park, Wilton Avenue, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, MK3 6EB. Historic Buildings Report; Architectural Investigation Reports and Papers B/010/2004

( 8) Monkton, Linda; Wiliams, Andrew ; Grundon, Imogen; Barrett, Nathalie & Morrison, Kathryn 2004 Bletchley Park, Wilton Avenue, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, MK3 6EB. Historic Buildings Report; Architectural Investigation Reports and Papers B/010/2004

( 9) Monkton, Linda; Wiliams, Andrew ; Grundon, Imogen; Barrett, Nathalie & Morrison, Kathryn 2004 Bletchley Park, Wilton Avenue, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, MK3 6EB. Historic Buildings Report; Architectural Investigation Reports and Papers B/010/2004

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