Click here to read about Ian Fleming's intriguing links to Bletchley Park

BLETCHLEY Park's significance cannot be overstated. Station X was where Alan Turing devised a way to break the Enigma code; where the world's first computer, Colossus, was built; and where the battle of the Atlantic was won, shortening the war by two years and saving thousands of lives.

But ironically, the secrecy which protected Bletchley Park throughout the war and for 30 years after, led to this important site becoming hidden, forgotten, and without any public investment.

As a result, today the Bletchley huts, where all these significant events took place, are rapidly crumbling away. A number of the windows have been boarded up, while scaffolding holds up the rotting wooden walls. Many huts are too dangerous to enter.

Everyone agrees Bletchley helped win the war, yet it receives no funds from the government and is in desperate need of renovation.

"It's something that really astounds me," says publicity manager Kelsey Griffin. "Historians agree this place saved countless lives and shortened the war. I think it would be difficult to find another building of such significance - and I don't think that's making the point too strongly."

Bletchley Park, once home to financier Sir Herbert Leon, was taken over during the war for use by the Government Code and Cypher School.

After 1945, the site was used by the Post Office and other government bodies until 1991, when it was in danger of being demolished for redevelopment. At that point, the Bletchley Park Trust was established to maintain the site as a museum and Milton Keynes Borough Council declared most of the estate a conservation area.

To date, the trust has raised more than £5 million to restore the buildings, including an extensive renovation of Hut 8, where Alan Turing was based. But far more is still needed.

A few months ago, when the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation turned down an appeal for money, Bletchley Park's director, Simon Greenish, warned that some buildings may not survive for much longer than another two years.

Simon tells me: "Our core problem is what this place costs to run. We need ongoing support, but we also need drastic renovation. Bletchley is crumbling.

"When you look at Hut 6, which is where the Bletchley story really started with the deciphering of Enigma codes, it's in quite a bad state.

"The floor has almost completely gone and I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that my garden shed is probably stronger than some of these huts."

But Simon believes the huge public support, as shown by rising visitor numbers and online petitions, will help Bletchley Park receive the funds it deserves.

He adds: "The government should really want to be involved. There's so much more we could do if we had the budget and there's a growing confidence that we will get there in the end.

"I really believe Bletchley Park is one of the most iconic sites in the whole country, and I am convinced that with the right investment it could become a world class museum site."