12 Days of Radar – Day Eleven

When Bawdsey Radar took over the Transmitter Block, it was not in a good state of repair. Images from this time can be seen here: https://www.bawdseyradar.org.uk/transmitter-block-virtual-tour/vr-tour/

to move to the next part of the tour

how the exhibition looks today

      information

Restoring an 80-year-old building was no easy task, but thanks to funding from the National Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic England and other partners, as well as the dedication of our volunteers both past and present, the Transmitter Block was preserved for future generations.

A key area of the building that required restoration was the blast walls surrounding the site. Designed to deflect the impact of indirect hits from enemy bombing, the blast walls were reinforced with steel that, in the years since the Second World War, had expanded, cracking and damaging the surrounding concrete. Thankfully, with some careful restoration, these were restored to their former glory.

Maintaining the building is an ongoing project. As visitors to the museum will have seen, a section of the wall in the museum has had issues with damp, causing damage to the plaster.

Thanks to incredibly generous donations from visitors, as well as a grant from the Pilgrim Trust, we have been able to repair the wall, helping to keep the Transmitter Block, and the museum it houses, safe for future generations. Before and after pictures are included below.