First Walk - Old Bletchley
Trail (Just under 2 miles)
1 The present
station replaces a station of 1860 extended by Livock in a Jacobean gabled
style. This replaced the L&B station of 1838. The Oxford line, opened
in 1851, is now used for goods only. The Bedford line is notable for stations
designed with mock Tudor half timbering, some of which remain. The role
of Bletchley Park during the Second World War was perhaps due to its railway
junction equidistant between Oxford, Cambridge and London. As we cross
Sherwood Drive, Milton Keynes College formerly Bletchley Grammar school
is to the left (1955-56 F.B. Pooley). Its grounds were once used for county
and local cricket matches.
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2 The path directly
opposite the station leads to what is now the main gate of Bletchley
Park. This is now opened to the public every other
week-end by Bletchley Park Trust. The mansion was built as a bailiff's
house about 1860, extended in 1883 and further extended around 1906 for
Sir Herbert Leon, who born in Hamburg became a wealthy London financier,
newspaper proprietor and Liberal M.P. for Bletchley. It is constructed
of brick with stone dressings. The front is a hotchpotch of gables including
a large two storey angular bay with a lead roof. It was here during the
1939-45 war that the decryption of the Nazi Enigma code played a large
role in counter-intelligence. The huts from that time form part of a museum
operated by the Trust. Bletchley Park can claim to be the birthplace of
Information Technology for it was here that a GPO team led by Bill Flowers
installed the first electronic computer used for a practical purpose. Alan
Turing, a pioneer of computing, was among the celebrated people who worked
here. The lake in front of the house was landscaped in the days of Browne
Willis, an antiquarian. There is now no trace of his house 'Water Hall'
built in the Queen Anne period (1707).
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3 Turning left
at the gates walk along Wilton Road to Church Green Road. On the right
at the junction is the lodge (1886) entered through the original gates
to Bletchley Park. Formerly another lodge stood on the other side of these
gates (i.e. where Wilton Avenue now runs). Entering Church Green Road,
we turn right but if you look to the left you will see a bungalow (Rose
Cottage) originally the Bletchley Park laundry (1888) attached to a row
of estate cottages (Leon cottages).
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Those parking behind the church hall start here.
4 Turn right
to walk up Church Green Road passing the church hall.Rectory
Cottages is on your right This building contains
a rare secular example of a medieval hammer-beam roofed hall, probably
built about 1475 by the de Grey family who were at that time Lords of the
Manor. The de Grey's main residence was at Water Hall in what is now Water
Eaton. The hammer beam is comparatively simple in construction but the
ends of the hammer beam have carved masks. It is believed that the hall
may have held the manor court for Bletchley itself and was the residence
of the steward. An alternative idea that the structure was once part of
Water Hall and was conveyed here later is now thought less likely although
recorded on a brass plate in the entrance. The Hall now forms the one storied
section to the north (left) of the entrance. The double storied section
to the south is a timber-framed building of around 1600 and was originally
jettied. The lower floors are now used for meeting rooms. The rear room,
formerly the kitchen contains an open fireplace and bread oven. There is
also a painting showing Queensway, then called Bletchley Road, as it was
in 1922 with the names of the residents and shop owners marked. Keys are
held in the two houses directly opposite and at No. 42. from whence a more
detailed guide to the building can be obtained.
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5 Nearer theWar
Memorial, on your left isFreefolk
Cottage, constructed around 1600, thatched and
timber framed with corner braces. In two bays, it has a clasped purlin
roof with queen strut trusses and wind braces. The chimney at the east
end serves a large open fireplace. Until 1913 much of the land in front
of this cottage was part of the village green. In the 19 th. Century, the
production of pillow lace was a local cottage industry for which Bletchley
was well known.
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6 Turn right at
the War Memorial to visit St. Mary's church. In the green to your right
is a scented garden for the blind. Also to the right behind this is the
Old Rectory of 1834 replacing an earlier building of 1754 although some
original materials are found in the present building. The Rev. William
Cole was Rector from 1753 to 1767 and a prodigious writer. His diaries
provide a unique and fascinating record of life in Bletchley at that time.
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7 TheChurch
of St. Marywas probably originally a two cell
Early English building (12 th. century) but only the carved south door
remains. Late 15 th. century square head windows replaced gothic windows.
The gothic clerestory was also replaced in the 15 th. Century. The nave
arcade of four bays is 13-14 th. century on octagonal columns. The tower
and belfry are 15 th. century as are the north chapel and the roof of the
south aisle. The nave has a 16 th. century roof. It was generally restored
in 1705-10 and the chancel was restored in the 19 th. century. The font
is 17 th. century. There is a monument with a recumbent figure of the 6th.
Baron Grey of Wilton of 1442. There are also a number of monuments of around
1600. The church was repaved and reordered in recent times. It is generally
kept locked.
To start walk
2 continue through the Churchyard to walk to Watling
Street via the Denbigh estate returning along a Redway and by Rickley Park.
Walk 2 andwalk
3 return to the War Memorial but can be started
here in reverse order
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8 To continue Walk
1, go back to the War Memorialand
cross the road carefully. On the other side, continue around the corner
on the same pavement. (Church Green Road turns left here and we follow
it.) Note Noel cottages on the right, which were further Bletchley Park
estate cottages (NOEL is LEON in reverse !!). After 100 yards you see the
old village school of 1854 now converted to two houses. To the left of
the old school is a small park with a children's' playground and footpaths
to Buckingham Road and Church Walk.
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9 On the left after
a further 100 yards, there is a track leading to Church Walk around which
is a group of three thatched and timbered 17 th. Century cottages set back
from the road. Number 14 Well Cottage has two bays with one storey and
an attic, four-panelled door and fireplace. To the west is Number 15 with
collar beam trusses and chamfered spine beams. Turn left along the track
to Yew Tree cottage, Church Walk, which is the oldest but was extended
in the 18 th. and 19 th. centuries. It may originally have had an open
hall with purlins and collar trusses to the roof. There are chamfered timber
fire-lintels on the ground floor and bread ovens.
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10 Turn right
and continue to Shenley Road along Church Walk. If you do not want muddy
shoes retrace your steps to Church Green Road and turn left towards Shenley
Road where you turn left again. Almost opposite Church Walk is the 17 th.
century Melville Farmhouse,
a
thatched half-timbered building of 3.5 bays originally longer and much
altered in the 19 th. century. There are 18 th. century leaded windows
to the attic rooms and casements on the ground floor. This was previously
called Fir Tree Farm. Local cottagers would bring their Sunday Lunch here
to be cooked in the bread oven.
The Three Trees, alas no longer present except in the
name of one of the three pubs, marked the second centre of the original
village. The Shoulder of Mutton, a part thatched building diagonally opposite
what is now the Three Trees pub was demolished around 1963. The Three Trees
has a comprehensive children's playground and, with indoor facilities for
children, aims at a family clientele. There are now only three pubs around
this crossing. The other two are the Shenley Hotel and the Old Swan once
masquerading as a Pickled Newt serving Greene King and a choice of Cask
Ales. Meals are available from midday to 8.30 p.m.
Here we have a choice:
Walk 3
takes us to the right up Buckingham road returning via the golf course
to the West Bletchley Shopping Centre and back to the War Memorial.
Walk 4 starts
directly opposite in Newton Road going across the fields to 'the Blue Lagoon'
and returning to Buckingham Road near the station.
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11 Walk 1 turns
left along Buckingham Road. This section was called Meager's Hill after
a family of wheelwrights who lived on the right hand side. On the north
(left-hand) side we pass Number 128, a thatched cottage built in the mid
18 th. Century on earlier brick foundations. Further along on the right
is Grange Lodge, built in 19 th. century late Victorian picturesque vernacular
style of brick with timber framing and tile hanging. Note the pierced ridge
tiles, a large ribbed, chamfered chimney stack and large leaded windows.
Holne Chase school is on the site of a house owned by a retired Colonel
who in order to create a rookery hung a dead sheep's carcase in the trees
to attract rooks. Fortunately this has not become a local tradition. The
first golf course was opened here in 1907.
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12 We descend
Walducks hill and pass the Eight Belles pub originally named after the
8 bells in the church, but now commemorating the daughters of the Selby-Lowndes
family of whom one married General French. Crossing Church Green Road we
pass the George pub named after George Morrey who built it, the Methodist
Church and Freeman Hall. The George serves cask-conditioned ales and meals
at lunchtime. There is a pianist on Friday and Saturday evenings. At the
next road junction you may turn left along Sherwood Drive to return to
the Station (those parking in Church Green Road turning left by the Eight
Belles as described above). To return to Central Bletchley and the Bus
Station continue straight on under the railway bridges. Note the concrete
railway viaduct high over the London to Birmingham main line built in 1958
to meet the needs of freight travelling east/west but currently little
used.
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