View Full Version : Cambridge University radio telescope site
tmmorris
22nd Jul 2006, 16:17
What's the history of the Cambridge University radio telescope site on the A603 southwest of Cambridge? Clearly a disused airfield (see http://www.multimap.com/map/photo.cgi?client=public&X=539000&Y=254000&width=700&height=400&gride=539000&gridn=253000&srec=0&coordsys=gb&db=freegaz&pc=&zm=0&scale=25000&down.x=352&down.y=424)
Couldn't find anything on www.controltowers.co.uk with the name of any of the nearby villages.
Tim
Cusco
22nd Jul 2006, 16:30
Try googling:
Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory and all will be revealed:
It certainly wasn t built on a disused airfield but an ordnance storage facility.
Cusco
tmmorris
22nd Jul 2006, 18:07
Quite right - I was misled by the long track for the 1-mile telescope which looks like a 1-mile runway on the aerial photo and map.
History is here: http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/sites/l/lords_bridge_air_ammunition_park/index.shtml
Tim
rogcal
22nd Jul 2006, 21:31
The radio telescopes were originally on the track of the disused Bedford to Cambridge railway line until the trackbed was relaid and restraightened to improve the telescopes orientation.
tmmorris
23rd Jul 2006, 15:12
Just as well as there are rumblings about reopening that line!
Tim
chevvron
23rd Jul 2006, 16:26
Funny, I'm pretty certain it was a disused airfield; I identified it as such from the Merseyside Aviation Society's book about airfields some years ago, and drove past it a couple of times when I was flying from Cambridge ('71). It certainly had features then which were reminiscent of wartime airfields eg building design.(probably demolished now though)
rogcal
23rd Jul 2006, 16:55
The Mullard Observatory was built on the site of an RAF ammunition dump and this link should answer any doubts about what was at the site during the war. Given the layout and the building designs, it would be easy to mistake it for an airfield:
http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/sites/l/lords_bridge_air_ammunition_park/index.shtml
and for anyone interested in the railway line and how it's trackbed was utilised by the observatory, this link may be useful:
http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/l/lords_bridge/index.shtml