Great news the Hut of the year 2009 Hut 6 is going to be restored to it’s former glory along with the other coderbreaking sheds over at Bletchley Park
Congrats to all the campaigners who have worked hard to see the nations best know sheds saved!
A landmark victory for the Bletchley Park Trust is today announced with a grant of £4.6 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) towards the regeneration of Bletchley Park. The investment will enable the restoration of iconic Codebreaking Huts 1, 3 and 6 and create a world-class visitor centre and exhibition in the currently derelict Block C as soon as £1.7 million in match funding has been raised.
Not only will this development allow the conservation of buildings of highly-significant heritage value, it will considerably improve the educational offering and visitor experience at Bletchley Park.
Bletchley Park, home of the Codebreakers, is arguably one of Britain’s most important 20th century historical sites. When the Codebreakers wrote to Churchill, in October 1941, starved of resources to do their essential work, Churchill immediately ordered, “Action this day! Make sure they have all they want on extreme priority and report to me that this had been done”. Exactly seventy years on it is resonant that the Heritage Lottery Fund are doing as Churchill asked. Their decision will be welcomed by the millions of people in this country and abroad who have supported the Park’s restoration, and take pride in its achievements.
Bletchley Park helped to shape the course of the twentieth century by giving the allies a critical edge in WW2, and foreshadowing the technological revolution that was to follow. Throughout the war, against seemingly impossible odds and in total secrecy, the Bletchley Park Codebreakers systematically broke what was the backbone of Germany’s communications cypher system – Enigma – and the even more complex cypher system used by Hitler and his High Command – Lorenz. Most historians agree that Bletchley Park shortened the war by perhaps two years, saving countless lives and changing the shape of the world that emerged from it.
The Bletchley Park Trust has today launched the ‘Action This Day’ campaign to raise the match funding needed. Please go to http://www.bletchleypark.org.uk/content/contact/donation/support.rhtm for details of how to support it.
