Marking VE Day’s 80th anniversary 

Celebrating and remembering 

To mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day on Thursday 8 May, Milton Park has decorated lampposts with poppies. 

As well as a poignant tribute to those who served during the Second World War, the iconic red poppies are also a fitting reminder to look back on Milton Park’s own extraordinary wartime legacy. 

From Spitfire wings to spinouts 

Long before Milton Park became known for pioneering scientific breakthroughs and innovation, it also played a critical role in the UK’s war effort. 

Strategically located on the Great Western mainline, Milton Depot (as it was known then) was a vital logistical hub during both world wars. First commandeered by the Royal Flying Corps in 1916, the site grew and was transformed into a bustling centre for logistics during the Second World War. 

With over 800,000-line items in stock, the depot supplied everything from wings to wireless radios, uniform buttons to aircraft equipment; essential parts keeping RAF bases across the South East operational and planes in the sky during the Battle of Britain. 

The more things change, the more they stay the same 

Milton Depot’s importance wasn’t just felt by the military and those on the frontlines. It also had a significant impact on society as a major employer for the local community, especially women and as a place for pioneering technological advancements. 

Innovations included early work on radio systems and punch card machines, which used perforated card to store and process data, a technological leap forward and an early precursor to modern computers.  

Eighty years on from those innovations, we recently welcomed the quantum start-up TreQ to Milton Park this year, who are aiming to pioneer the future of computing. 

We’ll meet again — a farewell to the last wartime buildings 

As part of VE Day commemorations, don’t forget to watch our video which marked the end of an era; the demolition of 57 and 59 Jubilee Avenue, Milton Park’s last two single-storey wartime buildings. 

These modest structures were once bustling with military activity and later adapted to serve a very different mission: nurturing some of the UK’s most successful science and tech start-ups. Oxford Asymmetry International (now global drug development giant Evotec) began in these very buildings, alongside fellow Oxford University spinouts Avidex, (now Immunocore and Adaptimmune). 

Together, these pioneers have taken the fight to cancer and other deadly diseases, a fitting echo of the site’s legacy. 

In the video, Kathryn Wilkes recalled Evotec’s early days working with just one computer, while Pauline Cakebread, a member of Steventon History Society and Executive Director at Milton Park occupier Prosper21, shared her insights into Milton Park’s “hidden history” and its vital role during WWII. As she put it: “Innovation was key in developing aviation technology and logistics then, just as it is today.” 

A building from that era still stands today—11 Park House, once the nerve centre of operations. 

From MOD to R&D 

The military vacated the site in  1963, and in 1971, it was reborn as the  Milton Trading Estate. In  1985, MEPC  took ownership and began shaping what we now know as  Milton Park. The team made the bold decision to support start-ups and university spinouts at a time when most landlords demanded long leases and guaranteed finances. 

The “sheds” which were once filled with military supplies, were adapted into incubator spaces—nurturing some of the UK’s most successful scientific and tech companies. 

Keeping calm and carrying on 

From its pivotal military presence during the Wars, a trading estate in the 1970s, to a leading European research and innovation district today, if there was one word which epitomises Milton Park’s contribution over the past eighty years, it would be reinvention. 

Whether supplying Spitfire parts or fighting cancer, Milton Park has certainly evolved over that time, however its plucky spirit of innovation has remained the same. 

As well as looking back on the 80^th anniversary of VE Day, 2025 also marks the 40^th anniversary of MEPC’s involvement in Milton Park. Stay tuned for more, but in the meantime, please do share any memories or pictures you might have of the Park over the years. 

Share your stories

MEPC is celebrating 40 years of managing Milton Park this year. We’d love to hear your stories and see your pictures of working at Milton Depot, Milton Trading Estate and or Milton Park over the years. 

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