Bletchley, Milton Keynes

Bletchley is a town in what is now Milton Keynes new city. It is formally in the Borough of Milton Keynes unitary authority, though until the administrative boundary change in 1995 it was in Buckinghamshire. It is situated in the south-west of the city but still retains a distinctive identity.

The town name is Anglo Saxon and means Blæcca's wood. It was first recorded in manorial rolls in the 12th century as Blechelai.

Bletchley is located on the Roman road Watling Street, and was also a major Victorian railway junction (the London and North Western Railway with the Oxford-Cambrdige line), which led to the huge urban growth in the town in that period. At Fenny Stratford, it is also linked to the Midlands via the Grand Union Canal.

Within the parish of Bletchley was historically the hamlet of Water Eaton. In the urban growth of the Victorian period the town also joined up with nearby Fenny Stratford. In the early 60s, there was a further substantial expansion of the twon, with people from London being relocated by the Greater London Council, mainly to the south of Water Eaton.

Also within the parish is the stately Bletchley Park, which, during the Second World War, was home to the Government Code and Cypher School. The famous Enigma code was cracked here. The house is now a museum.