Swingate transmitting station

The Swingate transmitting station is a facility for FM-transmission in the village of Swingate, near Dover, Kent (grid reference TR334429). For many years there were three lattice towers with a height of 111 metres (364 ft). This station was one of the first 5 Chain Home Radar stations completed in 1936 and was originally designated AMES (Air Ministry Experimental Station) 04 Dover. The FM transmitting antennas are attached to what was the middle tower; microwave link dishes and mobile telephone antennas were spread across all three towers. The south tower was dismantled in March 2010, as a result, only two remain.

Swingate

The three Swingate towers
Swingate transmitting station (Kent)
Location	Swingate, Kent
Tower height	111 metres (364 ft)
Coordinates	51.137778°N 1.335833°E / 51.137778; 1.335833
Grid reference	TR334429
Demolished	2010 (South tower)

The Swingate towers no longer have the three cantilever platforms that were fitted originally.

History

Originally there were four towers with wires stretched between them to transmit radio waves that were detected by a group of four smaller towers to the east of the surviving ones. The receiver towers were demolished after the war, along with one of the transmitter towers. Subsequently the north mast was demolished and replaced with a similar tower with a different bracing design. During the Cold War the towers sprouted four transmitters at their base which were popularly assumed to be part of the US ACE High communication system but were more likely an RAF link to Germany. The south tower was dismantled in March 2010.

Timeline

In 1936, four transmitters with platforms were erected. In 1955 one transmitter was dismantled, leaving three standing. In 1991 the north tower was replaced by a shorter one. In 2010 the south tower was dismantled.

• 
  Four towers with platforms, 1936
• 
  Three towers plus Cold War installation, 1982
• 
  Two of the original towers plus a newer, shorter one, 2005
• 
  Two remaining towers, 2011

Channels available from this site

Tower with platforms at Great Baddow in Essex, the only Chain Home radar tower to retain the original platforms.

High Frequency Trading

Several of the microwave dishes located on one of the towers provide connections via a chain of towers between the NYSE Euronext datacentres in Basildon and Slough, and Frankfurt for use in High Frequency Trading

Analogue radio

The transmitter is the main transmission station for the BBC which serves the bulk of Kent.

Frequency	kW	Service
90.0 MHz	11	BBC Radio 2
92.4 MHz	11	BBC Radio 3
94.4 MHz	11	BBC Radio 4
99.5 MHz	11	BBC Radio 1
104.2 MHz	10	BBC Radio Kent

See also

• Dover transmitting station - broadcasts TV, DAB and commercial FM radio from a site west of the town

External links

Media related to Swingate transmitting station at Wikimedia Commons

• Swingate transmitting station at mb21
• National Geographic photo showing the original configuration of four transmitters and four receiver towers