Things to do in Bletchley, Buckinghamshire
Bletchley in Buckinghamshire is five miles south of Milton Keynes, close to the A5 and the M1 motorway.
The Anglo-Saxon name means "Blaecca's Clearing".
The town was recorded in 12th-century manor records as Bicchelai, which over time became Bletchley.
In 1845, when the London and North Western Railway was built, Bletchley became a major railway junction and the town expanded rapidly.
It was also on Watling Street, an old Roman Road which is now the A5.
The Grand Union Canal passes just south of the town. All these strong transport links gave the area its industrial history.
It is famous as the place where the German Enigma Code was broken and where the world's first basic computer, Colossus, was developed.
In the 1960s Bletchley was part of the designated area of the New Town plan for developing Milton Keynes as an overspill for London.
Present Day Bletchley
Bletchley is now a sizeable town of around 34,000 inhabitants.
It has a traditional High Street of independent local shops and traditional services.
Most larger retail stores can be found in the neighbouring Milton Keynes Shopping Centre.
Bletchley has excellent links for commuters.
The town is the home of Milton Keynes Dons Football Club stadium which has a capacity of 30,000.
Things to Do Around Bletchley
Bletchley Park is now a museum celebrating the important work done in decrypting cyphers and codes. It significantly shortened World War II and consequently saved many lives.
Bletchley has many unspoilt nature reserves and natural areas such as the Blue Lagoon Nature Reserve and the West Bletchley Sensory Garden.
The canal is used for recreational boating, kayaking and fishing.
There are pleasant traffic-free walks along the tow path and local pubs for refreshments.
The Midsummer Madness and the Fenny Poppers celebration, when six cannons are fired, are all popular attractions.
Historic Woburn Abbey is open to the public although it is still the magnificent home of the 15th Duke of Bedford.
It dates back to 1145 and is set in a 3,000-acre deer park landscaped by Sir Humphrey Repton.
The abbey is also the home to a large Antiques Centre with over 50 shops, showcases and craft workshops.
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Days Out in Bletchley
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Bletchley Park (<1 Mile)*
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Leighton Buzzard Railway (6 Miles)*
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Woburn Safari Park (6 Miles)*
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Woburn Abbey (6 Miles)*
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Ascott House and Gardens (7 Miles)*
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Claydon House (10 Miles)*
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Cowper & Newton Museum (11 Miles)*
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Stowe Landscape Gardens (11 Miles)*
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National Waterways Museum (12 Miles)*
Places to Visit near Bletchley
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Bow Brickhill (3 Miles)*
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Stoke Hammond (3 Miles)*
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Aspley Guise (5 Miles)*
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Woburn (5 Miles)*
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Leighton Buzzard (6 Miles)*
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Newport Pagnell (6 Miles)*
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Winslow (7 Miles)*
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Lidlington (8 Miles)*
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Marston Moretaine (8 Miles)*
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North Marston (9 Miles)*
Also near Bletchley |
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