THE former home of Alan Turing – whose work was key to breaking the wartime Enigma codes – is for sale in Wilmslow, Cheshire.
The internationally renowned founder of computer science and celebrated cryptographer cracked the “Enigma Code” during World War II, which is said to have contributed to shortening the war by at least two years and saving millions of lives.
The property’s launch comes around the same time as the release of the new £ 50 note that contains the code breaker and coincides with his birthday.
Mr. Turing’s former home, Copper Folly, went on sale at a guide price of £ 1.1 million – complete with a blue memorial plaque highlighting its historical significance.
Image by Savills
The property is semi-detached in a private location and has been refurbished to an excellent standard while retaining many of its original features.
Andrew Thorpe, Head of Office, Savills Wilmslow said, “Copper Folly is an opportunity to acquire a timelessly attractive Victorian residence of historic importance.”
Dan Steeds and Jenna Lucas, who are selling the property, added, “Copper Folly was a wonderful family home and it was a privilege to live in a place with such an incredible history.
“Although we really enjoyed our time here, it is time to pass it on to someone who can appreciate it as much as we do.”
Visit search.savills.com/property-detail/gbwsrswis210139 for more property details.
Image by Savills
Mr. Turing was part of an Enigma research division that worked at Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire.
The first Enigma messages during the war were cracked in January 1940 and Enigma traffic was routinely cut off for the remainder of the war.
Born June 23, 1912, Mr. Turing studied mathematics at King’s College, University of Cambridge and earned a first-class honors degree in 1934.
In 1936 his work “On Computable Numbers” was seen as the birth of the idea of how computers could work.
His “Turing test” also examined the behavior that a machine needs to be considered intelligent – the basis for artificial intelligence.
The war hero’s later life was overshadowed by a conviction for homosexual activities that was later seen as unjust and discriminatory.
Mr. Turing was convicted of gross indecency for his relationship with a man.
His conviction resulted in his security clearance being revoked and he could no longer work for the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ).
He was chemically castrated after his conviction in 1952 and died in 1954 at the age of 41.
He later received a posthumous royal pardon.
