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In the Footsteps of Codebreakers at Bletchley Park
11 April 2025
Students from Years 10 and 11 Computer Science and Years 12 and 13 Mathematics were lucky enough to visit the world-famous Bletchley Park—once a top-secret hub for codebreaking during World War II. The site played a vital role in intercepting and deciphering enemy messages, most famously cracking the ‘unbreakable’ German Enigma.
Throughout the visit, students learnt how important Bletchley was in securing an Allied victory, after successfully breaking Enigma, which was originally deemed ‘unsolvable.’ With over 10,000 workers spread across 58 hectares, the site remained hidden in secrecy, as cryptologists fought their own battles against brain-wrecking ciphers. A key stop was Hut 11 & 11A, which housed the Bombe machine, designed by Alan Turing and his team in Hut 8. This was the first machine that helped British cryptologists break Enigma.
The students also discovered the significant yet often overlooked efforts of Polish cryptologists Marian Rejewski, Jerzy Różycki, and Henryk Zygalski, who first cracked Enigma and massively contributed to Britain’s success.
Exploring the mansion felt like stepping back in time, with wartime reconstructions, real-life recordings of workers, and interactive exhibits. The garage station, where wartime vehicles were preserved, showcased how they were used in operations. In free time, some of the girls wandered through hidden museums, while others relaxed by the lake, enjoying the Bletchley sunshine and taking as many pictures as possible.
The best part? Getting the chance to test a real Enigma machine—one of only 300 remaining globally—which was notably used in the film The Imitation Game! But before that, students had an intense session on the maths behind Enigma, where they tried their hand at codebreaking. Though the session was fascinating, by the end, their brains were truly frazzled by the hard maths.
Fun fact: Enigma was originally created to secure banks before Hitler and the Nazis adapted it for military use.
A huge thank you to Mrs Newling for organising such a brilliant trip and to all the staff who accompanied the students. A truly unforgettable experience that took learning far
beyond the classroom!
Bletchley Park
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