Monument record 1587000000 - Winchendon Hill VHF Fixer Station
Summary
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Map
Type and Period (4)
- (Alternate Type) RADAR STATION (20th Century - 1900 AD to 1999 AD)
- VHF FIXER STATION (Constructed in 1951, 20th Century - 1900 AD to 1999 AD)
- OBSERVATORY (Constructed by 1984, 20th Century - 1900 AD to 1999 AD)
- (Alternate Type) RADAR BEACON (20th Century - 1900 AD to 1999 AD)
Description
Very High Frequency (VHF) Fixer stations formed a network of 79 stations across the United Kingdom established by the Royal Air Force (57 of which were in England). They were built in the early 1950s as part of the Rotor programme to modernise the United Kingdom's radar defences. The stations were divided into thirteen Fixer Organisations and provided directional finding equipment, enabling fighter aircraft crews to receive positional data by transmitting a signal (1-2).
The VHF Fixer at Winchendon was located at SP 738 132. It was built in 1951 and as of that date is listed as being operational for the foreseeable future.
The stations in Fixer Organisation One of Eastern Sector included Cockthorpe (Norfolk), Hemsby (Norfolk), Leiston (Suffolk), Debden (Essex), Halstead (Leicestershire), Lutton (Lincolnshire) and Winchendon (3).
Aerial photography from 1978 shows a power house and aerial array building at the site in good condition (4).
This record includes National Record of the Historic Environment Information provided by Historic England on 4 June 2025 licensed under the Open Government Licence (5).
One of the Cold War buildings possibly resused for an Observatory.
Sources (5)
- <1>SBC22398 Bibliographic reference: Wayne D Cocroft and Roger J C Thomas (edited by P S Barnwell). 2004. Cold War: Building for Nuclear Confrontation 1946-1989. pp103-104.
- <2>SBC29099 Unpublished document: Colin Dobinson. 2000. Twentieth Century Fortifications in England Vol XI.1: The Cold War. pp41,44.
- <3>XYSBC29100 Unpublished document: Colin Dobinson. 2000. Twentieth Century Fortifications in England Vol XI.2: The Cold War (Appendices). p164. [Mapped feature: #52323 ]
- <4>SBC29101 Bibliographic reference: Michael J Anderton. 2000. Twentieth Century Military Recording Project: Cold War Rotor Stations. p41.
- <5>SBC27441 Digital archive: Historic England. National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE).
Location
| Grid reference | SP 738 132 (point) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | UPPER WINCHENDON, Aylesbury Vale, Buckinghamshire |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (1)
- Event - Interpretation: Landscapes of War Recording Project (EBC18882)
Record last edited
Feb 12 2026 10:29AM
