Captain Ridley’s Shooting Party became a Wetherspoons in 2017 when the company acquired the abandoned Bletchley Arms and offered it a new lease of life. Its name comes from the incredible story of Alan Turing and his team of WWII codebreakers, paying homage to their tireless efforts to crack the German enigma code. Whilst searching for a base of operations MI6 agents scouted out the nearby Bletchley Park estate, where they visited under the codename of ‘Captain Ridley’s Shooting Party’.
The pub inhabits a wonderful old brick building, beautifully symmetrical from the front with two chimneys rounding off the grand estate aesthetic. Despite its rather grand frontage it offers no indication of its true size – take a look at a satellite image and you’ll see that the pub actually extends back some 150ft!
Inside the pub is huge, its 2017 refurbishment still fresh and inviting six years later. The front of the pub feels very traditional, with wood panelling and hardwood flooring containing spaced out seating and a number of comfortable booths. At the rear of the pub is a large and well-lit carpeted area with a fireplace, golden light fixtures and a view into the kitchen. To the side is a wonderfully bright conservatory, its glass ceiling and exposed brick a truly pleasant area to be in.
To the rear is a huge beer garden with porcelain tiles and faux grass, enclosed by trees and complete with huts tying into the ‘hunting party’ theming.
To the front is another beer garden, offering ample outside seating for a summer visit.
The toilets are large and elegantly decorated, with subtly patterned tiles, wood panelling and gold details around the mirrors. An original film poster of The Imitation Game hangs on the wall of the men’s, yet another hint at the origins of the pub’s name and the proud history of the local area.
These toilets were graded ‘Diamond’ in the Loo of the Year Awards 2023.
The pub proudly embraces the history of Bletchley. There are so many items in display cases (including an enigma machine and a 1950’s telephone) that the downstairs almost feels like a museum.
Beyond this are subtle hints, such as the carpet design being based upon the distinctive drums of the famous codebreaking Bombe machine, and letters above the bar hinting at the machine’s typewriter-esque keys.
The conservatory area calls back to the area’s historical significance in the brick industry, with original brick moulds hung on the wall and tables made of bricks.
Ratings (out of 5)
We both rate the pub based on three criteria; the building, the interior and the toilets. These scores are averaged out to give the pub its overall rating. You can read more about the rating system here.
Building: 4.5 & 4.0
Interior: 5.0 & 5.0
Toilets: 4.5 & 4.5
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