Rampisham Down facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rampisham Down
Rampisham Down from the north
Highest point
Elevation	221 m (725 ft)
Prominence	5 m (16 ft)
Geography
Location	Dorset Downs, England
OS grid	ST544014
Topo map	OS Landranger 194

Rampisham Down is a chalk hill located in the Dorset Downs in west Dorset, England. It's about eight miles (13 km) northwest of Dorchester. The highest point of this hill is 221 metres (720 feet) above sea level.

Near Rampisham Down, you'll find the Frome valley and the village of Rampisham to the northeast. To the southwest are the Hooke valley and the village of Hooke. The A356 road, which connects Dorchester and Crewkerne, crosses over the down.

A Former Communications Station

Rampisham Down was once home to a major radio station. It was used by the BBC World Service to send radio broadcasts across Europe. This station had 26 tall transmitter towers. It stopped broadcasting in 2011.

Building the Station

The BBC bought this large 189-acre (76-hectare) site in November 1939. The station was called Overseas Extension 3 (OSE3). It had four powerful short-wave transmitters. These machines sent radio signals over long distances. The buildings where the transmitters were kept had strong walls to protect them.

A huge system of antennas was also set up. There were 29 antenna arrays supported by 15 masts. These masts ranged from 100 to 325 feet (30 to 99 m) tall. This system allowed the station to broadcast to almost anywhere in the world. However, its main purpose was to reach areas outside Europe.

The station also had an emergency power supply. This included two large diesel engines. They could generate electricity if the main power went out. The Rampisham station began operating on 16 February 1941.

During World War II

During its early years, the site faced attacks from the German Luftwaffe (air force). Bombs were dropped near the station, and cannon shells hit the diesel generator building. There were also many air battles between German bombers and British fighter planes. Despite these dangers, the team kept the station running.

Upgrading the Technology

The original transmitters worked until 1963. Then, they were replaced with newer, more powerful ones. About three years later, the BBC built its first relay station overseas on Ascension Island. Rampisham helped send programs to this new station using special transmitters. This continued until satellite technology became available.

In 1982, Rampisham went through its biggest upgrade ever. The old antennas were removed, and the buildings were completely redone. Ten very powerful 500 kW transmitters were installed. Also, 34 new wideband antennas were put in place. Most of these antennas pointed east, but some could also beam signals to the west. A computer system was added to automatically control and monitor the broadcasts.

The Station's Closure

By 2010, the station was managed by Babcock International Group. In 2011, the BBC World Service faced big budget cuts. Because of this, the Rampisham Down station was chosen to close. The very last broadcast from the site happened on Saturday, 29 October 2011. The final BBC broadcasts were in Arabic, sent to North Africa.

A Special Natural Area

In August 2013, Rampisham Down was officially named a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) by Natural England. This means it's a very important place for nature. The site has a large area of lowland acid grassland. It also has areas of lowland heath habitat. These natural areas have been mostly untouched since the communications station was built.

The acid grassland here is very natural and hasn't been changed by farming. It's the largest area of this type of habitat in Dorset. A site of over 70 hectares (170 acres) (173 acres) with this mix of acid grassland and lowland heath is rare in lowland England. This makes Rampisham Down nationally important for its wildlife and plants.

Plans for a Solar Farm

On 15 January 2015, the local council approved a plan to build a solar farm on part of the former transmitting station site. British Solar Renewables wanted to build this farm on 40 hectares (99 acres) (99 acres) of the land. The solar farm would generate 24 megawatts of electricity. The rest of the site would remain as grassland.

However, many groups, including the Dorset Wildlife Trust, were against this plan. On 2 February 2015, the government stepped in. They asked the council to stop the project. The government wanted to decide if the plan should be reviewed at a public meeting.

On 30 June 2015, the government announced that the planning permission would be reviewed by a planning inspector at a public inquiry. Later, British Solar Renewables asked to put the inquiry on hold. They wanted to try building on a smaller, less controversial area nearby first. On 22 December 2016, permission was given for this smaller site. The plans for the main site were then dropped. The existing structures on the SSSI will also be removed.

Images for kids

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  View of the Buildings

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  Apparatus Room

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  Valve in AEG S4005 Transmitter

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  Antenna Field 1

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  Antenna Field 2

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  Antenna Field 3