The largest county in the United Kingdom, Yorkshire is renowned for its unspoilt countryside, its historical past and its fierce traditions. Often referred to as “God’s Own County”, visitors to Yorkshire can enjoy the vast Yorkshire Moors, the rolling Pennine Hills and the rugged heritage coastal areas at Whitby, Scarborough and Filey.
To residents and visitors alike, Yorkshire is also renowned for many well-known landmarks, including a number of telecommunications transmission masts, perched high on the hill tops which can be seen for miles around.
As a telecommunications provider based in West Yorkshire, we’d like to share some information on these well-known landmarks with you…
Emley Moor Mast
The most famous transmission station in Yorkshire is Emley Moor Mast. Situated 1 mile west of the small village of Emley in Kirklees, West Yorkshire, the Grade II listed building is the tallest freestanding structure in the UK, the 7th tallest in the EU and the 25th tallest in the world.
Completed in 1971, the concrete tower is 330m high in total with a panoramic tower room at 274m and the antenna stretching a further 56m above. Ensuring stability of the structure, the foundations penetrate 6m into the ground making the whole structure weigh an incredible 11,200 tonnes.
Commonly known as the “Emley Moor Mast”, the structure is owned and operated by Arqiva and is the main UHF (Ultra High Frequency) transmitter site for Yorkshire. With a primary transmission range of approximately 40 miles radius, the tower predominantly covers South and West Yorkshire, but also reaches borderline areas of North and East Yorkshire overlapping with the Bilsdale and Belmont transmitters.
The Emley Moor transmitter broadcasts 6 digital TV multiplexes, 3 digital radio bands and 2 independent local radio stations (Capital Yorkshire & Real Radio) as well operating as the main station for 57 relays and repeaters throughout Yorkshire and the surrounding counties.
As many local residents may be aware, the current Emley Moor Mast is actually the 3rd structure to be built on the site. The first structure was a 135m high lattice tower that was dismantled in 1966. The second was a 385m tall cylindrical steel mast which unexpectedly collapsed on 19th March 1969 due to a build of ice and high winds.
The building of the existing tower started in 1969 and was made from reinforced concrete topped with a 55m steel lattice mast upon which holds the antennae. Completed in 1971, the tower remains a key feature of the West Yorkshire skyline today.
Holme Moss Transmitting Station
Located 10 miles South of Huddersfield and only 5 miles South-East of the Emley Moor Mast, the Holme Moss transmitting station is another well-known landmark in West Yorkshire. Standing 524m above sea level, it is the highest elevated transmission site in the country, providing the main transmission for BBC National and Local FM radio and also national DAB radio across the North of England.
Originally built to extend the BBC’s television coverage in the North, the actual mast is 228m tall providing an overall aerial height of 752m.
Due to its remote location, the station was built including living accommodation to house the staff should they become stranded in the event of adverse winter weather.
Today, the Holme Moss transmitting station is owned by Arqiva and continues to broadcast analogue and digital radio for the BBC.
Moorside Edge Transmitting Station
Situated on the Pennine Hills and within a 10 mile radius of Emley Moor Mast, Moorside Edge transmitting station can be seen from the M62.
Originally constructed in 1931 to transmit the BBC’s Northern Region and National programmes, it has one of the most powerful mediumwave radio transmitters in the UK.
The transmitting station consists of two steel lattice towers, each measuring 158m high. The high altitude of the location means that signals can be received as far Scotland to the North, the Midlands to the South, Dublin to the West and past the coast to the East.
Similarly to Emley Moor Mast and Holme Moss, Moorside Edge transmitting station is now owned and operated by Arqiva.
Direct Voice and Data are a specialist provider of Business Telephones and IT Systems, providing companies with telecommunications solutions to ensure their daily operations run smoothly. For more information and a consultation of your needs, call us on 0800 84 999 84 or visit our Website.
