Remote Radar Head Staxton Wold or RRH Staxton Wold is an air defence radar station operated by the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
, located near
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* Scarborough (surname)
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in
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by National parks of the United Kingdom, national parks, including most of ...
, England. As it has been a radar site continuously since 1939, it has a claim to be the oldest working radar station in the world.
History
The present-day site of RRH Staxton Wold has had an early warning function since the 3rd century AD, when it was the site of a warning beacon. It was first selected to be used as a radar station in 1937, when it was set up as part of the
Chain Home system, being some above sea level and only inland of the
Yorkshire Coast
The Yorkshire Coast runs from the Tees estuary to the Humber estuary, on the east coast of England. The cliffs at Boulby are the highest on the east coast of England, rising to above the sea level.
The North York Moors National Park extends ...
. Building work did not begin until December 1938 as delays in procuring the site occurred when the landowners resisted selling (this being before the Second World War, so the government found it harder to demand the land by force for the war effort).
The site became fully operational in April 1939 and is the only one of the original stations still in use, and may thus claim to be the oldest continuously serving radar station. Just before the outbreak of war (July 1939), the base was equipped with a
Bofors
AB Bofors ( , , ) is a former Swedish arms manufacturer which today is part of the British arms concern BAE Systems. The name has been associated with the iron industry and artillery manufacturing for more than 350 years.
History
Located ...
anti-aircraft gun, and by December 1939, it was only one of two operational radar stations in Yorkshire (the other being
Danby Beacon). For six weeks during late 1939,
Sir Bernard Lovell
Sir Alfred Charles Bernard Lovell (31 August 19136 August 2012) was an English physicist and radio astronomer. He was the first director of Jodrell Bank Observatory, from 1945 to 1980.
Early life and education
Lovell was born at Oldland Com ...
was posted to Staxton Wold from the University of Manchester whilst assessing radar at the site.
Maintenance and operating staff were drawn from No. 73 Wing RAF, part of
No. 60 Group RAF, with administrative and other human necessities catered for by
RAF Church Fenton
Royal Air Force Church Fenton or RAF Church Fenton was a former Royal Air Force (RAF) station located south east of Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England and north west of Selby, North Yorkshire, near the village of Church Fenton. The station wa ...
. In the 1990s, the station was maintained and operated by No. 129 Signals Unit, and was part of ''Sector 2'' headquartered by RAF Neatishead, which covered the southern half of the United Kingdom.
In the 1950s, with the threat of aerial bombardment on the station, the RAF installed service fire-fighters at the base, who would tackle fires until North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (NYF&RS) would arrive to assist. In the 1980s, the RAF fire-fighters were asked to attend local incidents in their area until the NYF&RS arrived to take control. However, by the early 21st century, the base was largely automated and the fire-fighters were removed from Staxton Wold.
Today it is a Remote Radar Head (RRH) within the United Kingdom Air Surveillance and Control System (UKASACS). The radar at Staxton Wold is a Lockheed Martin
AN/TPS-77 radar which was due to be working by September 2013, but only became fully operational in early 2015. In September 2017, it was reported that the TPS-77 at Staxton Wold would be transferred to
RRH Saxa Vord.
As part of a major upgrade of RRH sites around the U.K. the MOD began a programme titled HYDRA in 2020 to install new state-of-the-art communications buildings, radar towers and bespoke perimeter security.
Notable personnel
*
Bernard Lovell (1939)
*
Eric Eastwood (1942)
See also
*
Improved United Kingdom Air Defence Ground Environment
The Improved United Kingdom Air Defence Ground Environment, normally shortened to either UKADGE or IUKADGE, was the Royal Air Force's (RAF) ground-controlled interception system covering the British Isles during the 1990s. It consisted of a number ...
– UK air defence radar system in the UK between the 1990s and 2000s
*
Linesman/Mediator
Linesman/Mediator was a dual-purpose civil and military radar network in the United Kingdom between the 1960s and 1984. The military side (Linesman) was replaced by the Improved United Kingdom Air Defence Ground Environment (IUKADGE), while the ...
– UK air defence radar system in the UK between the 1960s and 1984
*
List of Royal Air Force stations
The Royal Air Force (RAF) operates several stations throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. This includes front-line and training air bases, support, administrative and training stations with no flying activity, unmanned airfields used fo ...
*
NATO Integrated Air Defense System
The NATO Integrated Air Defense System (short: NATINADS) is a command and control network combining radars and other facilities spread throughout the NATO alliance's air defence forces. It formed in the mid-1950s and became operational in 1962 as ...
References
Sources
*
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External links
Staxton Wold on SubBrit
{{Royal Air Force radar stations
Radar stations
Staxton Wold
Ryedale