Quilter period: 1886 to 1936 Bawdsey Manor was built in 1886 and enlarged in 1895 He established a steam-powered
chain ferry across the
River Deben in 1894 to access the nearest railway station at Felixstowe. It was known as the
Bawdsey Ferry and ran until 1931. The ferry now operates using a motor-launch at weekends during the summer. Maude Marion Quilter (born about 1868) of Bawdsey Manor, daughter of Sir William Quilter, 1st Baronet, married Frederick Denny in 1888 and later had
Horwood House as her country residence. It was at Bawdsey Manor that she knew of Harry Thrower, the father of the broadcaster and gardener
Percy Thrower, as he was a gardener there, it being his first gardening position. When Maude wanted a head gardener at Horwood House, she recruited Harry and he remained there for the rest of his life.
RAF Base: 1936 to 1990 In February 1936 research scientists, including
Robert Watson-Watt moved into the manor to begin research and development into
radar for practical military use and it became known as
RAF Bawdsey. Stables and outbuildings were converted into workshops and wooden receiver towers and steel transmitter towers were built. Bawdsey was the Air Ministry's secret radar research establishment until this moved away on the outbreak of war in 1939. Most of the key radar scientists of the day, and the first generation of RAF and WAAF radar personnel, were trained there. From 1937 Bawdsey was operational as the first of the RDF (radar) Chain Home, and during World War II also acquired Chain Home Low and Coast Defence/Centimetric equipment for tracking enemy ships. It continued as a radar station through most of the Cold War. Demolition of the 10 towers began in the 1960s, and they all are now gone. The Transmitter Block is a museum, with limited opening hours, and was featured in the BBC
Restoration programme. The exhibit is known as "The Magic Ear", and is operated by the Bawdsey Radar Group.
2017 The property was sold to
PGL Travel Ltd. and was opened for summer 2017. ==See also==