Bletchley Park: Home of the codebreakers

History, great coffee, and a surprise Lancaster flyover

Jess Shanahan

Jul 14, 2025

📍 Location

Bletchley Park, Sherwood Drive, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, MK3 6EB

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🔌 Charging info

Two 7kW AC chargers provided by BP Pulse
Price: £0.65/kWh
Bring your own cable
90 mins maximum with £10/hr overstay fee

NOTE - Overstay fee: I want to point out that a visit to Bletchley Park takes around four hours, meaning you’ll need to move your car to avoid the overstay fee. If you need more than 10 kWh to get home, as I did during this visit, the 90-minute limit is incredibly inconvenient.

This information comes from the BP Pulse app, but the Bletchley Park website says there’s no time restriction. Do with that info what you will!

Alternative charging option

To avoid having to charge twice, I decided to skip the chargers in the Bletchley Park car park. Instead, I visited an Osprey rapid charger a five-minute drive away in a retail park near a Starbucks and a big Tesco. I charged for ten minutes while I went to grab supplies for dinner.

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⚡ Why it’s great

Bletchley Park is the home of the codebreakers. It’s the site where much of the UK’s codebreaking took place during World War II and where so many great women contributed to the war effort. As you walk around, you learn about the history of codebreaking, what went on at Bletchley Park (including stories from those who were there), and so much more.

While there’s a lot of reading of the exhibits in each building, this is a fantastic way to learn more about WWII. Getting your head around the codebreaking machines and how they worked is tough, but if you want to learn, this is the place to do it.

There’s a nice mix of content from static displays of machines and notes to hands-on exhibits and video explainers.

The staff are all very knowledgeable and helpful. I’d recommend the free 60-minute tour as it’ll give you deeper insight into the key points in history.

Tickets

Tickets are £25.50 for an adult if booked online, but this counts as an annual ticket, so you can visit as many times as you like within 12 months. There are also family tickets available. Find all the details here.

Booking in advance is advised as the ticket price jumps to £28 if you buy when you arrive.

What you need to know

Open 09:30-17:00 in the summer (closing at 16:00 in winter).
Allow around four to five hours for a visit.
There are free guided tours throughout the day.
An audio tour is also available.
Check what’s on before you book, as there are a lot of great events and activities included in the admission price.
There are cafes on site, but you can also bring a picnic.
The coffee is excellent, as is the food.
The National Museum of Computing is on the same site but has a separate entrance fee.

✨ Experience

I’ve been driving past the sign for Bletchley Park for years. I finally set aside some time to visit and wasn’t disappointed. While I ran out of steam after about five hours (it was very hot!), I’m pleased my ticket counts as an annual pass. I’ll be back!

I didn’t check what was on before I arrived. It was busy but not overly so. When we walked into the mansion, the helpful guide at the door said, “Do you know about the Lancaster flyover later?”

We didn’t, so he gave us all the details, including the best place to stand to see it fly over. He explained that’s why it was so busy. This is worth pointing out because it suggests that on a typical weekend, it’s not as busy as my experience would suggest. What’s great is that it’s a huge site, so even at this level of busy, there was plenty of space, no queues, etc.

And I got to see the Lancaster fly overhead several times, which was a huge treat.

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Willen Lake, Milton Keynes

A nice stop with plenty to do, including food and drink options, watersports, walking routes, public art installations, and more.

“A genuinely refreshing pitstop when faced with an M1 drive north or south. Plenty of parkland, great facilities, and a ParkRun on Saturdays if you're so inclined!” - Rose R

Willen Lake, V10 Brickhill St, Milton Keynes, MK15 0DS

Six 7kW chargers in Car Park North/B (BP Pulse).
Other options include CHAdeMO and CCS rapids in Car Park South/A and Tree Cathedral car park.
The park is open 24/7, but opening times for cafes and activities vary throughout the year.
Parking is payable via the Ringo app (£1.50 for the first hour, then £1 p/h after).
There’s a wide range of activities available, though it’s best to book in advance.
Well-behaved dogs are welcome.
Not far from the M1 (J14), next to the A509.

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