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holme moss

THE HOLME MOSS STATION provides the main transmission for BBC National/Local FM radio and also national DAB radio across the North of England.

It is sited is on a remote area of the Pennines, 10 miles south of Huddersfield and just north of the West Yorkshire border with Derbyshire's Peak District.

With a ground height of 524m (1719ft), the station is the highest elevated main transmission site in the UK, although it is closely followed by the transmitter at North Hessary Tor in Dartmoor with a ground elevation of 510m (1673ft).

Holme Moss was first opened by the BBC on 12 October 1951 as the third of their initial five 405-line television transmitters, broadcasting on Channel 2 (VHF Band I) from a 750ft (225m) mast and serving an 80-mile radius across Northern England encompassing Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Derbyshire and parts of North Wales.  From 10 December 1956, the station was also broadcasting BBC National FM radio services to these areas.

When ITV came to Northern England, the Independent Television Authority (ITA) had to build two transmitters to cover the area (due to the less robust nature of their VHF Band III transmissions) respectively positioned to the west and east of the Pennines at Winter Hill (near Bolton) and at Emley Moor, sited around five miles north-east of Holme Moss.  Inevitably, these two ITA stations were also better positioned than Holme Moss to carry UHF transmissions to the north region.  These commenced with BBC2, broadcast from Winter Hill from October 1965 and Emley Moor from January 1966.

Holme Moss continued to broadcast BBC1 on VHF-only until the nationwide shutdown of the 405-line Television service in January 1985.  In the run-up to the closure, a new mast was constructed in preparation for the switch over to mixed polarised FM radio transmission, the aerial system for which was too heavy for the old mast.  The new mast was constructed near the old from a base point towards the rear of the station compound, with the old mast dismantled as soon as the new structure was in full operation.

Under the ownership of Crown Castle UK (the first successor to BBC Transmission in 1997) the station joined the expanding network of DAB transmitters and currently carries the BBC National and Digital One multiplexes.    

Emley Moor from Holme Moss

Aerials and Close-Ups

(Future Addition)

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The Holme Moss Site

The next five images show the compound and the original 1951 buildings.

 Click here or image to enlarge (145kB)

Above: The main building doorway, bearing the 1951-dated BBC Crest.

 Above: The mast is secured in place by fifteen stay lines, directed to ground in three sets of five.  Three anchor blocks secure each set of five at ground level in a 2-2-1 configuration.  This view faces south towards Derbyshire.

STATION INFORMATION

Location:

Holme Moss, off A6024, near Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, HD7 1QH

Grid Reference:

SE095041

Landlord:

National Grid Wireless

Ground Height:

524m

ITV Region:

N/A - See Emley Moor

Mast Height:

225m

BBC Region:

N/A - See Emley Moor

Aerial Height: (*)

UHF Tx Number:

N/A

  CURRENT TRANSMISSIONS

Analogue Television 

Analogue Radio (FM)

None - Transmitted from Emley Moor   

 Service:

(MHz)

(e.r.p)

BBC Radio 1:

98.9

250kW

BBC Radio 2:

89.3

250kW

BBC Radio 3:

91.5

250kW

BBC Radio 4:

93.7

250kW

BBC Radio Leeds:

92.4

5.6kW

 BBC GMR (Greater Manchester):

95.1

5.6kW

BBC Radio Sheffield:

104.1

4.4kW

Classic fm:

101.1

250kW

Digital Television 

Digital Radio

None - Transmitted from Emley Moor    

BBC National

  Digital One

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