June 1969 - before concrete towers and Digital radio.
The site, as "Tolsford Hill" was initially established to provide a cross-channel television and telephony link, opening in 1959. For many years there was a BBC presence since conversion between 819 and 405-line systems was carried out here - using optical equipment (monitor and camera). The original structure, on the right, was a 200 ft mast carrying three SHF dishes facing France. The "tubes" lower down were apparently shrouded yagis for a "supervisory" link at UHF.
Originally the link to and from London was via cable but an SHF route was completed by the Post Office in the late 1960s, using the temporary structure on the left to link via Flimwell (and from there via Fairseat to the London GPO Tower). The left-facing dish on the mast may have been for some interim link and at times the BBC had provided temporary SHF links as a way to overcome limitations with the cable route. There appear to be Band I yagis on the mast - possibly another interim arrangement to allow Crystal Palace to be used as a source?
The current concrete tower dates from 1975 and allowed for an increase in the number of dish antennas to provide additional capacity. The original building - slightly extended - remains in use. It is understood the site provided local feeds to Dover (and Swingate) using various permutations of cable and SHF links at different times but the main broadcast connection was, of course, the EBU ("Eurovision") link.
[BT Archives photo reference TCB 473/P 10264]
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