Explore Britain’s iconic wartime history, from Churchill’s bunkers to Bletchley Park, home to the enigma codebreakers
TODAY is Armistice Day, which marks the signing of the agreement to end the fighting of World War One. It came into force at 11am on November 11, 1918.
Along with Remembrance Sunday, the day honours those who have died in conflicts, with the nation falling silent at 11am.
This weekend the King led commemorations at the Cenotaph in tribute to the servicemen and women who defended our shores.
But there are plenty of other ways to learn more about our wartime history on the home front. Lisa Minot highlights some amazing places to visit.
REMEMBRANCE & COMMAND
ALL eyes were on the capital on Remembrance Sunday as the Cenotaph parade saw more than 10,000 veterans march past.
But you can pay tribute to the fallen year-round at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.
Set in 150 acres of woodland, there are more than 400 memorials honouring those killed on duty or by terrorism since World War Two. Entry is free. See thenma.org.uk.
A visit to the Imperial War Museum’s Churchill War Rooms is a chilling yet powerful experience.
Hidden beneath Westminster, the underground bunker was where the Prime Minister and his government directed the war effort. The Map Room is exactly as it was in 1945.
Tickets are best booked in advance and cost from £33 per adult and £16.50 for children five to 15. See iwm.org.uk.
Also not to be missed is HMS Belfast, now moored on the Thames near London Bridge.
Explore the nine decks of the ship that fired some of the first shots on D-Day, supporting the landings at Gold and Juno beaches in Normandy.
Tickets cost from £29 for adults and £14.50 for children, including a donation. See iwm.org.uk/visits/hms-belfast.
THE SECRET WAR
AWAY from the traditional battlefield, explore the impact World War Two had on the homefront and the secret work of those who changed the conflict’s course.
Bletchley Park near Milton Keynes, Bucks, was where Alan Turing, inset, and his team of codebreakers cracked the Enigma and Lorenz ciphers.
Tour the historic country house and the rambling huts and discover the achievements of these brilliant minds through immersive films, interactive displays and faithfully recreated rooms.
Tickets cost from £28 for adults and £19.50 for children age 12 to 17. Under-12s go free. See bletchleypark.org.uk.
The Blitz brought the war to the lives of civilians living in our biggest cities.
Tour the eerie ruins of Coventry Cathedral, destroyed by Nazi bombs.
This year marks the 85th anniversary of the devastating night that left the city in rubble.
Visit the modern cathedral built in its place.
Entry is free but there is a £5 fee to climb the gothic tower. See coventrycathedral.org.uk.
DEFENDING OUR ISLANDS
THE south coast of Britain was the UK’s front line in World War Two and the staging ground in 1944 for the liberation of Europe.
Medieval Dover Castle sits above a network of secret wartime tunnels where the 1940 evacuation of Dunkirk was masterminded and later served as a command centre and hospital.
You can join a guided tour of the tunnels before exploring the castle’s rooms and grounds.
Book castle tickets online in advance and save 15 per cent – from £27.20 for adults and £17.20 for children.
There’s also a Dover Bunker escape room that can be booked separately with prices from £30. See english-heritage.org.uk.
The D-Day Story in Portsmouth is the only museum in the UK dedicated to the Normandy landings.
The city was the main embarkation point and the attraction tells the story through personal accounts of those who were there.
It also features the incredible 83-metre Overlord Embroidery and a restored Landing Craft Tank.
Book online for savings, with tickets from £15.95 per adult and £8 per child. See theddaystory.com.
BATTLE BY SEA AND AIR
LEARN the critical role played by the Royal Air Force at IWM Duxford, Cambs – the former RAF base is now Britain’s largest aviation museum.
Its hangars and airfield played a key role in the Battle of Britain, and the base now houses a vast collection of aircraft, from Spitfires to Lancaster bombers, and tells the story of those who flew them.
Tickets cost from £26.80 for adults and £13.40 for children aged five to 15. See iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-duxford.
In Lincoln, the International Bomber Command Centre is a striking memorial to those who lost their lives in the skies.
Its 102ft spire – the height of a Lancaster bomber’s wingspan – is inscribed with the names of the 55,573 men of Bomber Command who lost their lives.
For a World War One focus, Scapa Flow on Orkney is the vast natural harbour that was the Royal Navy’s main base and is most famous for the scuttling of the interned German High Seas fleet in 1919.
In the World War Two it was the site of the sinking of HMS Royal Oak.
The wrecks are now popular dive sites. See scapaflowwrecks.com.