Turing Before Bletchley
Alan Turing’s Sherborne years,
1926–1931
10.10.2026 – 03.01.2027 | The Art Room
In 1926, a thirteen-year-old Alan Turing arrived in Sherborne to begin an extraordinary education. One hundred years later, this exhibition explores the curious, unconventional schoolboy before the world knew his name.
Long before Bletchley Park, the Enigma machine and modern computing, Turing was already fascinated by mathematics, science, patterns, puzzles and the possibilities of the mind. His school reports reveal a young person of remarkable originality and imagination: brilliant, sometimes solitary, frequently untidy and determined to follow his own line of thought.
Drawing upon school photographs, reports and high-quality facsimiles of rarely seen correspondence and manuscripts, Turing Before Bletchley explores Turing’s formative years in Sherborne and the experiences and relationships that helped shape one of the most influential minds of the twentieth century.
At the heart of the exhibition is Turing’s friendship with fellow pupil Christopher Morcom. Their shared interest in mathematics, chemistry and astronomy created an important intellectual companionship. Christopher’s sudden death in 1930 affected Turing profoundly, influencing questions about science, thought and human existence that remained with him throughout his life.
The exhibition traces Turing’s journey from Sherborne to King’s College, Cambridge, his wartime work at Bletchley Park and his pioneering contributions to computing, artificial intelligence and mathematical biology. It also acknowledges the injustice he experienced during his lifetime and his continuing significance within the history of equality and human rights.
1928, Alan Turing (with signature) aged 16. Photograph by Mr Chaffin of Sherborne. | Courtesy of Sherborne School Archive.
Play Like Turing
Visitors of all ages are invited to explore ideas through play, with chess, Go, codebreaking challenges, Rubik’s Cubes and puzzles inspired by rules, patterns and problem-solving.
Handling copies of Turing’s school reports offer another opportunity to encounter the person behind the famous name, and to consider what his teachers recognised in him and what they could not yet have imagined.
Observe. Question. Test. Adapt. Try again.
The exhibition forms part of Sherborne’s 2026 Turing programme, bringing together history, science, creativity and contemporary conversations about computing and artificial intelligence.
Plan your visit
Dates: 10 October 2026–3 January 2027
Location: The Art Room, The Sherborne
Admission: Free
Opening: During The Sherborne’s usual opening hours
No advance booking is required for a general visit.
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