North Hessary Tor transmitting station
Standing on the summit of North Hessary Tor in Devon, England is an FM radio and television transmitter which uses as aerial a 196 metres (643 ft) high guyed mast.
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![]() ![]() North Hessary Tor ![]() Caradon Hill | |
Mast height | 196 metres (643 ft) |
---|---|
Coordinates | 50°33′01″N 4°00′30″W |
Grid reference | SX578742 |
Built | 1955 |
Relay of | Caradon Hill |
BBC region | BBC South West |
ITV region | ITV West Country |

History
It was built by BICC for the BBC in 1955 when a transmitter was needed to introduce 405 line television into Devon, alongside Rowridge and Pontop Pike (both 500ft). It now carries a small UHF TV transmitter which serves Princetown and Dartmoor. FM radio transmissions began in 1956 and cover most of Devon and eastern parts of Cornwall, along with Somerset and South Wales as a backup for Wenvoe. It is owned and operated by Arqiva.

Services listed by frequency
Analogue radio (FM VHF)
Frequency | kW | Service |
---|---|---|
88.1 MHz | 160 | BBC Radio 2 |
90.3 MHz | 160 | BBC Radio 3 |
92.5 MHz | 160 | BBC Radio 4 |
97.7 MHz | 160 | BBC Radio 1 |
100.0 MHz | 160 | Classic FM |
103.4 MHz | 15 | BBC Radio Devon |
In all BBC publications the national FM ERPs for North Hessary Tor are listed as 160 kW (mixed polarisation): Classic FM list their ERP as 80 kW (horizontal) and 80 kW (vertical) for North Hessary Tor which equates to the same power as the BBC.
The mast covers a large area including Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and South Wales.reaches Ireland's south east especially radio 1 97.7
Digital radio (DAB)
Frequency | Block | kW | Operator |
---|---|---|---|
225.648 MHz | 12B | 3.2 | BBC National DAB |
17 December 1954 – 3 January 1985
Frequency | VHF | kW | Service |
---|---|---|---|
51.75 MHz | 2 | 15 | BBC Television |
Until 12 August 2009
Frequency | UHF | kW | Service |
---|---|---|---|
743.25 MHz | 55 | 0.012 | BBC1 South West |
775.25 MHz | 59 | 0.012 | Westcountry |
799.25 MHz | 62 | 0.012 | BBC2 South West |
823.25 MHz | 65 | 0.012 | Channel 4 |
12 August 2009 – 9 September 2009
Frequency | UHF | kW | Service | System |
---|---|---|---|---|
743.25 MHz | 55 | 0.012 | BBC1 South West | PAL System I |
775.25 MHz | 59 | 0.012 | Westcountry | PAL System I |
801.833 MHz | 62 | 0.0025 | BBC A | DVB-T |
823.25 MHz | 65 | 0.012 | Channel 4 | PAL System I |