Skelton Transmitting Station
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Expand German Template:Infobox UK transmitter
The Skelton Transmitting Station is a radio transmitter site at {{#if:NY433376|[[Ordnance Survey National Grid|{{#if:Template:Yesno|Grid|grid}} reference]] {{#invoke:Ordnance Survey coordinates|oscoord|NY433376_region:GB_scale:25000|NY433376|name=}}}} near Skelton, Cumbria, England, about Template:Convert north-west of Penrith, run by Babcock International and owned by the Ministry of Defence. Shortwave broadcasts from this station ended on 30 March 2023, replaced by Woofferton.<ref>
- REDIRECT Template:Cite news</ref> Skelton's lattice mast is the tallest structure in the UK.<ref name="nigel"/>
HistoryEdit
ConstructionEdit
The site was built by J. L. Eve Construction during the Second World War, for long-distance short-wave transmissions, across Europe.
TransmissionsEdit
In 1946, the BBC was heralding the site as being "the World's largest and most powerful (shortwave) radio station".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The main purpose of it was shortwave broadcasting. The site was capable of Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) on at least 3955 kHz and 3975 kHz (75m broadcast band) beamed at 121° towards Germany and Central Europe.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On AM the frequencies of 5995 kHz and 6195 kHz (49m broadcast band) and 9410 kHz (31m broadcast band) and 12095 kHz (25m broadcast band) were known.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
A Royal Navy very low frequency (VLF) transmitter is also located there. It is used to transmit encrypted orders to submarines, including the Trident SLBM fleet.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It uses as its aerial a 365-metre (1,198 foot) high guyed steel lattice mast, which is insulated against ground and is the tallest structure in the UK. The transmitter went into service in 2001.<ref name="nigel">Template:Cite journal</ref>
See alsoEdit
- List of masts
- List of tallest buildings and structures in Great Britain
- List of radio stations in the United Kingdom
- List of VLF-transmitters