Bletchley Park opens after £8m revamp

Bletchley Park, the home of the World War 2 code-breakers, re-opens today following a year-long restoration overseen by project managers Artelia UK.

The project, which was funded with the aid of a £8m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, has restored the wartime appearance of the site’s historic blocks and huts, which had fallen into dereliction and disrepair.

The contractor on the project was Fairhurst Ward Abbot, which specializes in the restoration of sensitive historic buildings.

The key challenge for the project team was to restore the site, while retaining as much as possible of the buildings’ wartime materials and atmosphere.

The re-opened site, which is located just on the outskirts of Milton Keynes, also boasts a new visitor centre.

Architect Kennedy O’Callaghan has been working on the project since 2010, when the practice was appointed in 2010 as design team leader to develop the museum’s detailed brief and carry out condition surveys and conservation appraisals of the site and buildings.

Stephen Prowse, head of project delivery at Artelia UK said: “The project team shared a passion and respect for the project and the spirit of Bletchley Park permeated us all - attention to detail and resilience in the face of adversity - which drove us to produce a world class visitor experience that respects and pays tribute to the essential and painstaking work that was carried out here during WW2.”

The site’s re-opening is marked by a visit from the Duchess of Cambridge, whose grandmother worked at the site during the Second World War.

The project team also included M&E consultants King Shaw Associates, lighting designer Lightinc, landscape architects Philip Cave Associates and environmental consultants Bickmore Associates.