Monument record TQ 77 NE 51 - Cooling Radio Station MEDUSA

Summary

Cooling Radio Station was built between 1938 and 1942 and was, from 1959, home to a Multiple Direction Universally Steerable Aerial System (MEDUSA), an experimental antenna array.

Location

Grid reference Centred TQ 7530 7825 (387m by 433m) (2 map features)
Map sheet TQ77NE
County KENT
Civil Parish CLIFFE AND CLIFFE WOODS, MEDWAY, KENT
Unitary Authority MEDWAY

Map

Type and Period (1)

Full Description

From the report:

"Cooling Radio Station was constructed to house the ‘Multiple Unit Steerable Antenna’ (MUSA) system developed by Friis and Feldman in the 1930s... During the last stage of shortwave transatlantic communication prior to the rise of satellites, an experimental shortwave receiving system was constructed at Cooling. The ‘Multiple Direction Universally Steerable Aerial System’ (MEDUSA) had the potential to be the next major development in global shortwave communication." (1)

The full history of the site, the technology and the development of the experimental apparatus has been detailed. The system hut was located between the two arrays. (2)


<1> English Heritage, 2010, Cooling Radio Station, Hoo Peninsula, Kent: An Introduction (Unpublished document). SKE16235.

<2> English Heritage, 2010, Cooling Radio Station, Hoo Peninsula, Kent: An archaeological investigation of a short-wave receiving station (Monograph). SKE25193.

Sources/Archives (2)

  • <1> Unpublished document: English Heritage. 2010. Cooling Radio Station, Hoo Peninsula, Kent: An Introduction.
  • <2> Monograph: English Heritage. 2010. Cooling Radio Station, Hoo Peninsula, Kent: An archaeological investigation of a short-wave receiving station.

Finds (0)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

Related Events/Activities (0)

Record last edited

Sep 24 2013 11:35AM