HERITAGE
Ask anyone in Rugby and they will recall, often with fondness, the warming red beacons at the top of the iconic 820ft radio masts on this site, which signalled that they were nearly home from long journeys.
THE MASTS
A welcoming landmark on the Warwickshire countryside and also a significant part of this country’s history. Those 820ft masts enabled our county to lead the world in the telecommunications advancements of the 1920s.
“...HOW IS THE WEATHER IN LONDON”
The world’s most powerful radio transmitter beamed messages up through the masts to all corners of the globe - and in 1927 we spoke to America across the airwaves for the very first time. From Rugby to a receiving station in the state of Maine, called Houlton.
TOMORROW CALLING
Its legacy lives on through Houlton – named after the town in Maine, USA that received the very first transatlantic voice broadcast from Rugby Radio Station in 1927.
VISIT HERITAGE WEBSITE
1926
Opening of Rugby Radio Station – most powerful radio transmitter in the world
1927
First transatlantic telephone call from Rugby to Houlton in Maine
1927
Time signal service begins
1928
Short wave telephony testing and A Station built
