Transmitter Block At Tm 3412 3828, Bawdsey Manor

The Transmitter Block at Bawdsey Manor is a Grade II* listed building constructed in 1937. It features brick construction with a flat reinforced concrete roof, enclosed by a wall made of flint shingle designed to disperse blast. The building has a rectangular plan with a southern entrance leading to the east transmitting room, which is separated by a central filtration room and a WC from the substation and workshop located to the west. It includes iron grilles for ventilation and is illuminated by timber windows on the side walls. The structure is surrounded by concrete blast walls that are banked with earth, although some of this earth has been removed.

Inside, the building retains plain doors and architraves, glazed wall tiles, filtration plant, and original switchgear made by Ferguson Pailey Ltd of Manchester, which was responsible for converting power to the transmitting beam.

Historically, Bawdsey Manor was selected as the site for the experimental station where radar technology was first applied to air defence, developed by Robert Watson-Watt and his team of scientists. When it was handed over to the Royal Air Force in May 1937, it became the world's first radar station. The prototypes created here laid the groundwork for the "Chain Home" radar defence system, which was crucial to the victory in the Battle of Britain during the summer of 1940. The advancements in radar technology at this site significantly influenced the outcome of this critical phase of the war and had lasting effects on post-war electronics and defence systems. The transmitter block stands as one of the most significant buildings related to the scientific and technical revolution of the 20th century.