Solo visit after seeing it come up recently.
In the early part of the 20th century, the British government showed considerable interest in developing a series of powerful radio transmitters that would join the British Empire together via radio links.
Some of this work was completed by the Marconi company but the government decided to build its own Post Office-run communication station to avoid being reliant on Marconi.
Hillmorton, near Rugby, along with Leafield in Oxfordshire, were chosen as excellent sites for transmitting…..
…During World War II many of Rugby's transmitters were used by the armed forces….
At the end of the war the station was reconverted to cope with the rapidly increasing demand for overseas telephone circuits and it was soon found that the demand for those circuits was outstripping the available plant. Accordingly arrangements were made to purchase a further seven hundred acres of land adjoining the site and work was commenced on the construction of a new building to house twenty-eight transmitters of the most modern type.
The new station, probably the biggest ever built as a single project, was well in advance of any other in existence at that time in technique and in the extent to which it economised in manpower. The new station or ("B" Building) was put into operation in 1953.
In the early nineties “A†building ceased transmitting and was converted to BT’s document storage facility (it’s still in use)
“B†building was used up to 2007
“C†is still used for transmitting maritime traffic.
Abridged history from subbrit - there's lots more.
It really is very stripped.
There’s lots of this
Not very much of this, but this was in a filing cabinet in the cleaner’s office
The transmitter room, with lots of air-con.
This was in a generator bay (no generator) and should have had fuses and tools for changing them
This would have carried cables out to the masts
Finally, this was a good find. A radio ham’s den.
In the early part of the 20th century, the British government showed considerable interest in developing a series of powerful radio transmitters that would join the British Empire together via radio links.
Some of this work was completed by the Marconi company but the government decided to build its own Post Office-run communication station to avoid being reliant on Marconi.
Hillmorton, near Rugby, along with Leafield in Oxfordshire, were chosen as excellent sites for transmitting…..
…During World War II many of Rugby's transmitters were used by the armed forces….
At the end of the war the station was reconverted to cope with the rapidly increasing demand for overseas telephone circuits and it was soon found that the demand for those circuits was outstripping the available plant. Accordingly arrangements were made to purchase a further seven hundred acres of land adjoining the site and work was commenced on the construction of a new building to house twenty-eight transmitters of the most modern type.
The new station, probably the biggest ever built as a single project, was well in advance of any other in existence at that time in technique and in the extent to which it economised in manpower. The new station or ("B" Building) was put into operation in 1953.
In the early nineties “A†building ceased transmitting and was converted to BT’s document storage facility (it’s still in use)
“B†building was used up to 2007
“C†is still used for transmitting maritime traffic.
Abridged history from subbrit - there's lots more.
It really is very stripped.
There’s lots of this
Not very much of this, but this was in a filing cabinet in the cleaner’s office
The transmitter room, with lots of air-con.
This was in a generator bay (no generator) and should have had fuses and tools for changing them
This would have carried cables out to the masts
Finally, this was a good find. A radio ham’s den.
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