There are three sites known as Barnstaple, one for VHF/FM radio, one for MF/AM radio and one for UHF television.
This is the VHF station, located to the West of the town, just off the A39.
Our first photo was taken back in the days when the site was used for VHF 405-line tv as well as VHF radio and it is clear from the unusual shape that the same tower is still in use today.
Barnstaple broadcast BBC TV on channel 3 in Band I with horizontal polarisation. This transmission, along with VHF radio, came into service on 16th May 1966. A link at the bottom of this page leads to the BBC R&D report from the era on the transmitting installation. 405-line TV was closed on 4th April 1983 and FM radio was re-engineered for mixed polarisation in January 1986. Radio 1 was added on 2nd February 1994. |
