Three Second World War Sites to Show the Kids

In 1940, Winston Churchill said about the RAF that ‘Never was so much owed by so many to so few.’ Of course, the war went on for another five years, affecting people all across the globe. So with the 70th anniversary of the end of the war approaching in September, we look at three of the most interesting Second World War sites in Britain.

Whether you want to show children and grandchildren what things were like in the ’40s or to take some time for reflection, you’ll find a good choice here.

1. Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms, London

Evenings in wartime London were often spent in the labyrinth of underground tunnels and passageways as the German bombers roared overhead. Similarly, the British government needed somewhere safe to strategise and meet – and thus, the Cabinet War Rooms were born.

You can explore the war room and connecting walkways where the great and good of British Forces and government waged war on the Nazis. Plus you can see the private quarters of Churchill himself. Not luxurious by any means.

And while you’re in the capital, why not go the short journey south to the newly redone Imperial War Museum (IWM) in Lambeth too? With one of the most impressive collections of war memorabilia in the world and exhibitions covering current conflicts too, this is an educational highlight well-suited to slightly older children.

If you’re looking to make a weekend of it, choose a London Travelodge as your base. From our Waterloo hotel it’s a 15 minute walk to the IWM.

2. Battle of Britain Memorial, Capel-le-Ferne

Battle of Britain Memorial

The Battle of Britain Memorial at Capel-le-Ferne, on Kent’s famous white cliffs between Folkestone and Dover, combines hands-on family fun with a clifftop tribute to the men of the RAF who won the Battle of Britain in 1940. 

Features of the open-air site include the Christopher Foxley-Norris Memorial Wall, a replica Spitfire and Hurricane and the National Memorial to the Few, an enigmatic sculpture of a seated airman gazing wistfully out across the Channel towards the coast of France, easily visible on a clear day.

Inside the Wing visitor centre, opened by Her Majesty The Queen and HRH Prince Philip in 2015 and built in the shape of a Spitfire wing, The Scramble Experience is a high-tech, audio-visual introduction to the Battle of Britain, complete with audio and video footage of ‘the Few’, both contemporary and more recent. As an insight into the most important battle fought by this country in the whole of the 20th century, the Memorial is unbeatable, while a well-stocked shop and café with views of France will make it a visit to remember.

3. Bletchley Park, Milton Keynes

Recently brought to the public’s attention by Benedict Cumberbatch in the Oscar-nominated The Imitation Game, Bletchley Park was where Alan Turing and his team broke the Nazi’s Enigma code and gave the Allies an advantage that would go on to help end the war.

Here you can actually see the original Enigma machines that the Germans used, and roam the grounds and rooms that housed some of Britain’s greatest minds – male and female.

Kids aged 11 and up will be eager to learn about and then test their code-breaking skills with multimedia tours and puzzles. And you can come back within 12 months for free with the same ticket.

If you fancy making a weekend of it, our Milton Keynes Travelodge is only three miles away from Bletchley Park and the ideal place to rest after a hard day’s codebreaking.