# BBC Tatsfield Monitoring and Receiving Station



## saul_son (Dec 17, 2005)

From Location thread​
By the look of those mast bases it may have been a Chain Home Station in WW2 and possible early Cold war. Compare your observations with this

http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/sites/s/stenigot/


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## cybergibbons (Dec 17, 2005)

We don't believe that it ever worked as a radar station, only as a monitoring post. It would have had several large masts as well as dishes. I have been meaning to request some information about it, after the FOIA was brought in.

A cold war expert has been at the site and it doesn't hold any similiraties to any other site he has been at.


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## saul_son (Dec 17, 2005)

I thought it may have been a Chain Home site, taken over by the BBC after WW2. But after reading into this,it would appear not. Have you managed to get in there and take any photos?


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## cybergibbons (Dec 18, 2005)

Yes, I have been in several times. Photos are on my other PC so I can't post them right now. I will try to get some sent to me later on.


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## cybergibbons (Dec 30, 2005)

The pictures, as promised:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cybergibbons/sets/1700053/


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## saul_son (Dec 30, 2005)

Good pictures mate! The foundation thingys are definately not Chain home, lol!!Chain home foundations are huge blocks of concrete. The place looks interesting though, have you found anything else out about its past??


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## godzilla73 (Jul 15, 2008)

*Tatsfield BBC Receiving Station*

Hi all - I am making a trip to Tatsfield in the near future. Do \any of you have any objections if I post some new photos of the site? I drove past it recently and suspect some of it may have undergone some changes since cybergibbons posted in '05.

Just being courteous to fellow users!

GDZ


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## krela (Jul 15, 2008)

No not at all, start a new thread for it


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## Bob.J (Jul 15, 2008)

*BBC Tatsfield Monitoring and Receiving Sation*

This station was built at Tatsfied in 1929, replacing a temporary station at nearby Keston built in 1925. The monitoring function was centred on the underground, thermally controlled 'Standards Room' which was responsible for ensuring that each BBC station transmitted on exactly the right frequency. Sophisticated receiving and direction finding equipment was installed. Bombed during the Battle of Britain when the two highest wooden masts were destroyed and replaced with three 120 foot steel lattice masts. some functions were re-located to BBC Wood Norton for the duration of the war when they were again re-located to Caversham where they still remain. Up-dated and re-equipped over the years the last being in the 1960's the station has since closed. normally staffed by between 8 and 12 persons it was never a very large station but was very important.

A full report with photographs appeared in the magazine "Radio Bygones" issue No 44 Christmas 1996Bob J http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/main/images/icons/icon6.gif


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## Lady Anne (Dec 9, 2020)

If anyone is interested I worked in the office at the BBC Tatsfield Receiving Station from 1966 to 1969.


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