So, here's Marlborough. Peter Bigwood reports that it was quite a climb up a muddy track from the valley, the road to the site being "aggressively private".
Built by the BBC, Marlborough commenced transmissions with 405-line BBC 1 on VHF band III, channel 7 on
11-Nov-1968. Closed on 5-Oct-1982.
UHF TV commenced with BBC 1 & 2 during October 1973 relaying Mendip. ITV was added on 21-Jun-1974, but relaying Hannington. Channel 4 was added on 22-Nov-1985. ITV was re-attributed to Mendip with the franchise changes in 1982. DSO was on 24th March and 7th April 2010.
You can just make out the loop and dipole Tx antennas for ILR below the BBC Band II array, which entered service on 14-Oct-1988. The BBC national FM radio services, plus BBC Wiltshire, were added on 25th August 1993. As far as we know ILR gets its feed from Blunsdon. BBC Wiltshire is line fed.
BBC Network radio is sourced from an RBL feed of Oxford. Presumably these antennas are on the left side (north face) of the mast. Blunsdon at the top, Oxford the two stacked yagis a third of the way up by the look of it.
DAB service dates: Swindon 21-May-2003; Digital One 14-Dec-2006. |
