Following the end of the
First World War the British government set about implementing plans for an
Imperial Wireless Chain to link the countries of the
British Empire. It was decided that the new wireless service would be state-run by the
Post Office. The site east of Hillmorton, was chosen in 1923. Part of the site had previously been occupied by
RAF Lilbourne between 1915 and 1920. In 1927, a second transmitter was installed to initiate the first transatlantic commercial telephone service; linking New York and London on 60 kHz using
single-sideband modulation. This transmitter was decommissioned in 1956 and became the time signal transmitter
MSF. This new function developed from the decision, in 1951, to use the station to transmit modulated
standard frequencies for scientific reference purposes. In 1972 these transmissions were consolidated onto the present frequency of 60 kHz and a further reference, that of a time signal, was added. In 1977 this took the form of the rolling
slow code in use until April 2007, when BT's contract to transmit the time signal also passed to VT Communications, using their
Anthorn radio station in Cumbria. The aerial system at the VLF transmitter existed between 1926 and 2004 and consisted of twelve 250 metre (820 ft) high, guyed steel-framework masts insulated against ground and carrying an aerial wire. This wire was mainly destroyed by heavy iceloads in the winter of 1940. After the shutdown of GBR, the facility was only used for transmitting the MSF time signal. Therefore, eight of the twelve masts were obsolete and demolished on the night of 19 June 2004 to 20 June 2004. A trial transmission of the
LORAN-C navigation system was run at the station from June 2005 until March 2007. The remaining four 'tall' masts were demolished on 2 August 2007. The site is now being developed into a large new housing estate named
Houlton, the first homes of which were occupied in December 2017. The power and transmission buildings, as well as a water tower have been reused as part of
Houlton School. File:Image from page 636 of "The Bell System technical journal" (1922) (14569539429).jpg|1922 diagram of the transatlantic radio network. File:Wire antenna insulator - Rugby Radio Station UK 1938.jpg|Strain insulator supporting the cage antenna, 1938 File:Hillmorton radio masts2.jpg|View of the site, 2005 File:Rugby Radio Station, Hillmorton - geograph.org.uk - 1625800.jpg|The main buildings of the station in 2009. These have been converted into
Houlton School File:Rugby transmitter control pannel.jpg|Control panel of the military
very low frequency (VLF) transmitter used to communicate with submarines File:Demolished radio mast.jpg|A radio mast after demolition in 2004 ==See also==