Holme Moss transmitting station

The Holme Moss transmitting station is a radio transmitting station at Holme Moss in West Yorkshire, England. The mast provides VHF coverage of both FM and DAB to a wide area around the mast including Derbyshire, Greater Manchester, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.

Holme Moss
Holme Moss radio mast
Holme Moss transmitting station (West Yorkshire)
LocationHolme Valley, Kirklees, West Yorkshire
Mast height228 metres (748 ft)
Coordinates53.533221°N 1.858187°W / 53.533221; -1.858187
Grid referenceSE095040
Built1951
BBC regionBBC North (1951-1985)

History

Holme Moss transmitting station was built by British Insulated Callender's Cables[1] with John Laing & Son acting as sub-contractors for the foundations.[2] It became the BBC's third public television transmitter, launched on 12 October 1951. Of historic and technical interest, this operated on the 405 line VHF system, with black and white transmissions originally on British System A, Channel 2, with vision 51.75 MHz, 45 kW and sound 48.25 MHz, 12 kW.[3] The mast survived until the end of the Band I TV broadcasts in 1985, with a replacement mast being constructed, adjacent, in 1984.[4] In early 1986, there was concern that heavy blocks of ice could bring down the old mast - February 1986 had been one of the coldest months on record, but demolition contractors worried that a sudden burst of warm weather could loosen lumps of ice, with the shock of the fall possibly buckling the old mast at its badly rusted centre. This in turn threatened to damage the new mast just 100 yards away and put all its FM broadcasts off air.[5] In the event, a gradual thaw alleviated the problem, and the old mast was taken apart as planned.

The site is now owned and operated by Arqiva.[6]

Television signals from Holme Moss travelled much further than their intended service area. The Isle of Man and parts of the Irish Republic, mainly Dublin and Wicklow, could receive a signal from Holme Moss for some years. Emley Moor and Moorside Edge masts can be seen from the location (Emley Moor from Holme Moss).

VHF Radio broadcasts started on 10 December 1956, for the Home, Light, Third Programme as they were then titled (see table). To this day, these three stations operate on exactly the same frequencies as they did in 1956. Subsequently, BBC Local Radio services were added in the early 1970s. With the awarding of a national commercial station, Classic FM is also broadcast. DAB transmissions also now originate from here.[7]

These transmissions cover North West England (mainly Greater Manchester and Cheshire) and most of Yorkshire; however, signals can be heard as far south as London and as far north as Scotland, whilst coverage can also be heard in Ireland and mainland Europe.

The base of the station is 1719 ft (524 m) above sea level and the mast another 750 ft (228 m) on top of that. This gives a maximum aerial height of 2467 ft (752 m) which is one of the highest in the UK. The mast weighs 140 tons and is held up by 5 sets of stay levels. At 250 kW ERP on the national channels, it is one of the most powerful VHF sites in the country.

Services available

Analogue radio (FM VHF)
Frequency kW Service Entered Service Notes
89.3 MHz 250 BBC Radio 2 10 December 1956 Originally the Light Programme
91.5 MHz 250 BBC Radio 3 10 December 1956 Originally the Third Programme
92.4 MHz 5.6 BBC Radio Leeds 1975 Radiating Northwards towards West Yorkshire
93.7 MHz 250 BBC Radio 4 10 December 1956 Originally the North Regional Home Service
95.1 MHz 5.6 BBC Radio Manchester 10 September 1970 Radiating Westwards towards Manchester
98.9 MHz 250 BBC Radio 1 1 September 1988 At launch, the output was at 60kW. This was increased to 250kW on 19 December 1989.
101.1 MHz 250 Classic FM 7 September 1992
104.1 MHz 4.4 BBC Radio Sheffield 1975 Radiating South & Eastwards towards South Yorkshire

Digital radio (DAB)
Frequency Block kW Operator
222.064 MHz 11D 4.7 Digital One
225.648 MHz 12B 5 BBC National DAB

Analogue television

TV transmissions ceased from this site with the demise of the original VHF service in 1985.

Frequency VHF kW Service
51.75 MHz 2 45 BBC1

Relay services

Being the main radio site in the North West and Yorkshire region, there are also a number of smaller relay transmitters used to fill in areas which receive poor coverage from Holme Moss. This is particularly evident around the Pennines where there are frequent hills meaning reception from Holme Moss is poor (especially indoors).

Analogue radio
Transmitter kW BBC R1 BBC R2 BBC R3 BBC R4 Classic FM BBC Local Notes
Barnoldswick 0.02 99.3 MHz 89.7 MHz 91.9 MHz 94.1 MHz N/A N/A Serves area of Barnoldswick
Beecroft Hill 0.2 99.4 MHz 89.8 MHz 92.0 MHz 94.2 MHz 101.6 MHz 103.9 MHz Relays BBC Radio Leeds. Serves western areas of Leeds
Chesterfield 0.4 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 94.7 MHz Relays BBC Radio Sheffield. BBC national FM services are relayed from Sutton Coldfield
Cornholme 0.02 99.3 MHz 89.7 MHz 91.9 MHz 94.1 MHz N/A N/A Serves villages of Cornholme and Lydgate, west of Todmorden.
Haslingden 0.083 99.5 MHz 89.9 MHz 92.1 MHz 94.3 MHz N/A N/A Serves Haslingden area.
Hebden Bridge 0.025 98.0 MHz 88.4 MHz 90.6 MHz 92.8 MHz N/A N/A Serves Hebden Bridge area.
Idle 0.025 98.1 MHz 88.5 MHz 90.7 MHz 92.9 MHz 100.3 MHz N/A Serves Bradford area.
Keighley 1 98.5 MHz 88.9 MHz 91.1 MHz 93.3 MHz N/A 102.7 MHz Relays BBC Radio Leeds. Serves Keighley area.
Kendal 0.1 98.6 MHz 89.0 MHz 91.2 MHz 93.4 MHz N/A N/A Serves Kendal area.
Luddenden 0.084 98.3 MHz 88.7 MHz 90.9 MHz 93.1 MHz N/A 95.3 MHz Relays BBC Radio Leeds. Serves areas west of Halifax and the Ryburn Valley.
Morecambe Bay 10 99.6 MHz 90.0 MHz 92.2 MHz 94.4 MHz 101.8 MHz N/A Serves large areas of Southern Cumbria.
Olivers Mount 0.25 99.5 MHz 89.9 MHz 92.1 MHz 94.3 MHz N/A N/A Serves Scarborough and surrounding areas.
Pendle Forest 0.1 97.8 MHz 90.2 MHz 92.6 MHz 94.6 MHz N/A N/A Serves Burnley and Colne areas.
Saddleworth 0.095 99.3 MHz 89.8 MHz 91.9 MHz 94.1 MHz N/A 104.6 MHz Relays BBC Radio Manchester. Serves Saddleworth and Tameside in the Upper Tame Valley
Sheffield 0.32 99.5 MHz 89.9 MHz 92.1 MHz 94.3 MHz 101.7 MHz 88.6 MHz Relays BBC Radio Sheffield. Serves parts of Sheffield
Stanton Moor 1.2 99.4 MHz 89.8 MHz 92.0 MHz 94.2 MHz N/A N/A Serves areas of the southern Peak District including Matlock, Bakewell and Cromford areas.
Todmorden 0.1 98.5 MHz 88.9 MHz 91.1 MHz 93.3 MHz N/A N/A Serves Todmorden area (relayed via Cornholme).
Walsden South 0.01 98.0 MHz 88.4 MHz 90.6 MHz 92.8 MHz N/A N/A Serves Walsden area and Littleborough, just south of Todmorden.
Wensleydale 0.054 97.9 MHz 88.3 MHz 90.5 MHz 92.7 MHz N/A N/A Serves Wensleydale area.
Whalley 0.01 99.2 MHz 89.6 MHz 91.8 MHz 94.0 MHz N/A N/A Serves Whalley and Clitheroe areas.
Wharfedale 0.04 98.0 MHz 88.4 MHz 90.6 MHz 92.8 MHz N/A 95.3 MHz Relays BBC Radio Leeds. Serves Wharfedale north of Leeds
Windermere 0.064 97.9 MHz 88.3 MHz 90.5 MHz 92.7 MHz N/A N/A Serves Windermere (relayed via Morecambe Bay).
  • Holme Moss mast and transmitter buildings
  • Holme Moss, near summit from west side
  • Holme Moss, eastward view from top
  • Holme Moss, transmitter mast and buildings
  • A panorama generated from 17 images

See also

References
  1. "Construction Bulletin". British Insulated Callender's Cables. 1 September 1951. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  2. Ritchie, p. 112
  3. TV COMES TO THE NORTH
  4. Holme Moss History
  5. Guardian, 13 February 1986, P1
  6. Arqiva
  7. Holme Moss Transmitter


Sources
  • Ritchie, Berry (1997). The Good Builder: The John Laing Story. James & James.
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