Bletchley Park voted top 'Building with Pride'

Bletchley Park was the site of secret code breaking during World War II

The iconic Bletchley Park mansion has taken top spot in the Wickes Building with Pride competition.

The DIY chain asked the public to vote for the building they would be most proud to put their name to. Over 36,000 votes were cast, and a resounding 45 per cent named Bletchley Park.

The house was originally home to computing geniuses such as Alan Turing, and was the historic site of secret British code-breaking activities during World War II. It was also the birthplace of the modern computer, and is now a museum dedicated to the outstanding achievements of its former occupants and the general history of computing.

"It is superb to see how many people take pride in the work undertaken by the code breakers," said Simon Greenish, director of The Bletchley Park Trust.

"Bletchley Park is a collection of ramshackle wooden huts, brick buildings and a mansion which is a curious mix of mock-Tudor, Gothic and Victorian. This as a whole is not to everyone's taste, but the code breaking work that went on was, in the words of Professor Richard Holmes, a 'very British accomplishment' and 'utterly fundamental to the survival of Britain and to the triumph of the west'."

The runners-up in the Building with Pride competition were a collection of old and new landmarks from around the country. Second place was taken by The Needles Old Battery on the Isle of Wight, followed by The Cavern Club in Liverpool, The Spinnaker in Portsmouth and Leith Hill Tower in Dorking.

"The public have really taken this search to heart and have chosen a building that holds an incredibly important place in the British psyche," said Matthew Critchley, brand communications director at Wickes.

"Bletchley Park has come to signify British ingenuity, courage and pride. I cannot think of a more worthy winner of the first Building with Pride award."