Photographs taken 2009
The Caradon Mast is 750ft tall, plus the secondary reserve aerial that was installed in 2007, bringing it to a total height of 780ft (238m). The mast was originally built and came in to service in 1961, and Caradon Hill was chosen as the best location to serve Cornwall and the west of Devon for TV transmissions. The problem with such tall structures is, naturally, the need to go up them from time to time, to service and maintain not only the structure itself, but equipment that it holds for signal transmissions. This of course ignores how the mast got there in the first place, which is a whole other story. As to how engineers get up the mast now, see below (or above below!)...
The Caradon Mast in all its780ft tall glory
The Caradon Hill site also has two other smaller masts that have and
are used for other
telecommunications purposes. The smaller third
mast has since been removed.
The top of Caradon Mast BEFORE the digital switchover (as seen in
2006)
The top of the Caradon Mast AFTER the digital switchover (as seen in
2009)
Work was completed on the digital switchover during 2008 to
2009
If you want a ride, this is the way to go.
Far scarier one feels,
than any fairground ride is likely to be!
The, er, cable car at base camp does seem somewhat ramshackle,
but 'Elf and Safety has I'm sure given the OK!
So this is it. This is where you get on, and this is what you get
in.
Just a Cage!
That will take you up there, and out into the big empty void!
...and finally, to the top of the mast,
where all you have to do,
is climb out!
I can only assume that a very good, EXCEPTIONALLY good,
HEAD FOR
HEIGHTS is required!!!
Some images of the mast itself (photographed from top to bottom):
Top half
(the platform near the bottom of the top half of the
mast is the same platform at the top of the bottom half of the mast)
Bottom half
The top of the top aerial arrays
The bottom of the top aerial arrays
One of the primary cable anchoring points and cables up the mast
One of the several three-way cable anchoring points
Some of the heavier looking cables that almost look frayed! (But I'm
sure they're not!)
For more technical information about the Caradon Mast, see The Big Tower where there are also more photographs of work being carried out.
How the old pre-digital aerial array was brought back down to earth can be seen in The Transmission Gallery
For more information about Caradon Hill, see the Caradon Hill page
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