View source for Skelton Transmitting Station

{{Short description|Transmitter in Cumbria, tallest in the UK}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2019}}
{{Expand German|topic=struct||date=May 2019}}
{{Infobox UK transmitter
|name                = Skelton
|image               = [[File:Skelton Transmitting Station - geograph.org.uk - 134785.jpg|250px]]
|map_name            = United Kingdom Eden#Cumbria
|map_caption         = Location in [[Eden District|Eden]], [[Cumbria]]##Location in [[Cumbria]], England
|map_relief          = 
|map_label           = Skelton
|map_label_position  = left
|location            = [[Skelton, Cumbria]]
|coordinates         = {{Coord|54|43|56|N|2|53|01|W|type:landmark_region:GB-CMA|display=tile,inline}}
|height              = {{convert|365|m|ft|0}}
|gridref             = 
|built               = 2001 (current)
|demolished          = 
|collapsed           = 
}}

The '''Skelton Transmitting Station''' is a radio transmitter site at {{gbmapping|NY433376}} near [[Skelton, Cumbria]], England, about {{convert|5|mi|km|0}} north-west of [[Penrith, Cumbria|Penrith]], run by [[Babcock International]] and owned by the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]]. Shortwave broadcasts from this station ended on 30 March 2023, replaced by [[Woofferton transmitting station|Woofferton]].<ref>{{citenews|url=http://www.radioeins.de/programm/sendungen/medienmagazin/radio_news/beitraege/2013/skelton_ende.html|title=radioeins.de: Rundfunkbetrieb in Skelton endet|date=February 18, 2013|access-date=13 November 2024|archive-date=26 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130626162720/http://www.radioeins.de/programm/sendungen/medienmagazin/radio_news/beitraege/2013/skelton_ende.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Skelton's lattice mast is the [[List of tallest structures in the United Kingdom|tallest structure in the UK]].<ref name="nigel"/>

==History==
===Construction===
The site was built by [[J. L. Eve Construction]] during the Second World War, for long-distance short-wave transmissions, across Europe.

===Transmissions===
In 1946, the [[BBC]] was heralding the site as being "the World's largest and most powerful (shortwave) radio station".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbceng.info/Operations/transmitter_ops/Reminiscences/skelton/sk1.htm#8 |title=Skelton Transmitting Station 1942 to 1998 - Over half a century of short wave broadcasting |first1=G.P. |last1=Lowery |orig-date=1990 |date=2007 |first2=Chris |last2=Garlick |others=Pictures provided by Barnes, Russell W |editor-first1=Martin |editor-last1=Ellen |website=BBCeng.info |accessdate=2010-11-22 |archive-date=9 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110309220046/http://www.bbceng.info/Operations/transmitter_ops/Reminiscences/skelton/sk1.htm#8 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The main purpose of it was [[shortwave]] [[broadcasting]]. The site was capable of [[Digital Radio Mondiale]] (DRM) on at least 3955&nbsp;kHz and 3975&nbsp;kHz (75m broadcast band) beamed at 121° towards Germany and Central Europe.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.baseportal.com/cgi-bin/baseportal.pl?htx=/drmdx/main&amp;sort=kHz,UTC |title= DRM schedule |website=Baseportal |accessdate=2010-11-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://mediumwave.info/drm.html |title=DRM |website=Mediumwave Info |accessdate=2010-11-21 |archive-date=22 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100622064202/http://mediumwave.info/drm.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> On [[Amplitude modulation|AM]] the frequencies of 5995&nbsp;kHz and 6195&nbsp;kHz (49m broadcast band) and 9410&nbsp;kHz (31m broadcast band) and 12095&nbsp;kHz (25m broadcast band) were known.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.listenersguide.org.uk/bandscan/ |title=Bandscan |website=Listener's Guide |accessdate=2010-11-21 |archive-date=14 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101214140833/http://www.listenersguide.org.uk/bandscan/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

A [[Royal Navy]] [[very low frequency]] (VLF) transmitter is also located there. It is used to [[Communication with submarines|transmit encrypted orders to submarines]], including the Trident [[SLBM]] fleet.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://basicint.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/HACKING_UK_TRIDENT.pdf|title=Hacking UK Trident: A Growing Threat|last1=Abaimov|first1=Stanislav|last2=Ingram|first2=Paul|publisher=Basic|date=June 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230909145305/https://basicint.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/HACKING_UK_TRIDENT.pdf |archive-date= Sep 9, 2023 }}</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">{{cite journal |last1=Meredith |first1=Nigel P. |last2=Horne |first2=Richard B. |last3=Clilverd |first3=Mark A. |last4=Ross |first4=Johnathan P. J. |title=An Investigation of VLF Transmitter Wave Power in the Inner Radiation Belt and Slot Region |journal=Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics |date=July 2019 |volume=124 |issue=7 |pages=5246–5259 |doi=10.1029/2019JA026715 |bibcode=2019JGRA..124.5246M |s2cid=197563530 |url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/224769021.pdf}}</ref>
==See also==
{{Portal|Cumbria}}
*[[List of masts]]
*[[List of tallest buildings and structures in Great Britain]]
*[[List of radio stations in the United Kingdom]]
*[[List of VLF-transmitters]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Structurae|id=20010740|title=Skelton Transmission Mast}}
* http://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?b40685

{{Supertall}}
{{BBC World Service}}

[[Category:Buildings and structures in Cumbria]]
[[Category:Radio masts and towers in Europe]]
[[Category:Skelton, Cumbria]]
[[Category:Telecommunications in World War II]]
[[Category:Transmitter sites in England]]
[[Category:Shortwave radio stations]]


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