Mendip transmitting station
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| Mendip | |
 The Mendip UHF Television Mast |
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| Height | 305 metres (1,001 ft) |
|---|---|
| Grid Reference | ST564488 |
| Built | 1967 |
| BBC Region | BBC West |
| ITV Region | ITV West |
The Mendip transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility, situated on the summit of Pen Hill, part of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England, at 302.3 metres (992 ft) above sea level. The mast is located in St Cuthbert Out civil parish in Mendip district. It includes a 281.6 metres (924 ft) tall mast, which was built in 1967 and weighs around 500 tonnes. On top of the mast is located a GRP aerial cylinder, which contains the analogue television transmitting antennas, and brings the total height of the structure to 305 metres (1,001 ft). This cylinder is due to be replaced during 2008 with a new antenna assembly, ready for digital switchover in 2009. The new assembly will be slightly shorter than the current cylinder, and the overall mast height will be reduced to 293 metres (961 ft)[1]. With a mean height of 596 metres (1,955 ft) above sea level, the analogue television antennas are amongst the highest in the UK. The mast was entirely repainted during 2007.
There are around twelve red aircraft warning lamps (six sets of two lights) up the mast with two lights on top. The lights were upgraded in February 2007[2] to comply with CAA 2000 Air Navigation Order, designed to prevent low flying aircraft from hitting the mast in adverse weather conditions.
The mast, whilst an intrusion on the landscape, has become a well known and loved Mendip landmark and can provide some spectacular images when engulfed in fog or cloud or illuminated in full sunlight. It also provides a unique method of identifying the hills from a distance.
The mast broadcasts analogue and digital television and radio, over a large area of the west of England, including Somerset, Wiltshire, North Somerset, Bath and North-East Somerset, Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Gloucestershire and is the tallest structure in the South West of England. The station also covers the coastal areas of south east Wales with many households using it in preference to their more local station, Wenvoe. This is because Mendip carries Channel 4 and Five, whereas Wenvoe only carries S4C, which broadcasts a lot of Welsh language programming. Indeed many houses have aerials directed at both stations. Power on analogue transmissions is 500 kW (erp) on channels 1 to 4 but only 126 kW on Channel 5. The latter is transmitted outside of the original C/D grouping of the transmitter but most people in reasonable signal areas would receive it OK, see aerial gain curves. All 6 digital muxes are transmitted at 10 kW and within the C/D band. Mendip's population coverage is around 1.5 million, although some homes in the immediate vicinity, such as those in Cheddar are unable to receive a signal due to being in the shadow of the Mendip Hills and therefore have to depend on local relays. In July 2007 was confirmed by Ofcom that Mendip would remain a C/D group transmitter at DSO (Digital Switchover).
The station is owned and operated by National Grid Wireless.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Planning Application Details
- ^ http://www.cheddarvalleygazette.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=216909&command=displayContent&sourceNode=216903&contentPK=16636764&moduleName=InternalSearch&formname=filtersearch
[edit] See also
- List of masts
- List of tallest buildings and structures in Great Britain
- List of radio stations in the United Kingdom
[edit] External links
- The Transmission Gallery: Photographs and Information
- Pictures and info on Mendip including co-receivable transmitters
- Entry at skyscraperpage.com
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