Winter Hill Transmitter

Winter Hill television transmitter was built in 1965.

The mast is located on the high ground 5 miles NW of Bolton and overlooks the "Cheshire plain", thus giving it a coverage area stretching down as far as Crewe, Stoke and even Shrewsbury. It has the second greatest population coverage of any British TV transmitter at around 7 million people and its signals are received in many large towns/cities including Liverpool/Birkenhead, Manchester, Warrington, Preston and Blackpool. The high ground which the mast is built on was a contributory factor to the infamous plane crash on these moors in 1958, 35 people died and 7 survived. On a clear day much of the plain to the South is visible and the views are stunning, from Rochdale in the East all the way round to Southport in the West.
Winter Hill mast is 309m high and combined with the elevated site its transmitting antennas are the highest of any main television transmitter in the country at 718m.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• winter
• hill
• transmitter
• bolton
• horwich
• rivington

[farty1000]

wow is this peter kay narrating??

[Chewbaxter]

Afraid not cocker... I'm from Wigan - he's from Bolton. Similar accent though i'n't it eh? :D

[coolghpoo]

where is this as i see it from blackpool

[Chewbaxter]

It's near Rivington/Horwich was isn't too far away from Bolton. Grid Reference - SD660145. You can only get 'so far' up to it now I'm afraid but you can still get pretty close. :)

[coolghpoo]

as ill be coming down on the train where best 4 me 2 get off and are the views gd

[Chewbaxter]

Trying to think where the best place would be.

For views - you'd be better going to RIVINGTON PIKE - there's lots of great scenery there, and although not right up to the transmitter, it can clearly be seen from there...

Perhaps if you got off the train at Bolton and then got a bus to Horwich?

Sorry, but I live in Wigan you see... when we go we drive there.

Hope those suggestions are of some use. :)

Neil.

[MrFrancisH]

Presumably you mean the present tower was built in 1965?

I was allowed to tour the transmitting buildings in 1959 as best I can remember. The transmissions were in black and white and they kindly ran part of the Treasure Island serial on the film scanner with Robert Newton as Long John Silver.

Interestingly, the audio announcements of a video/visual/transmission failure were as individual tracks on a 12 inch 'shellac' record. The programs came via an underground coaxial and 'Edistone' receiver

[tomharding]

I live in Westhoughton and can see winter hill pretty clearly from my kitchen. When we're driving home from a distance, seeing the mast lit up always reminds us that we're not far from home. I love it.

[sian0151]

@coolghpoo its in Bolton on winter hill

[AndyJay15]

I'm in St Helens and I can see this. Looks nice when it lights up red at night :) Also walked up to it on Duke of Edinburgh, tried to cut through the site instead of having to walk round the fence but they wouldn't let us incase of falling ice aha :(

Was interesting though. It's huge when your only a few ft from it.

[L45hley]

cool dogs,bro

[LeeroyAndDuck]

i walk school every morning i live 20 miles away and can see it clearly :) im live neat wigan

[TheRippingCorpse]

I can see this from my house. It looks great at night when it's lit up.

[sian0151]

@coolghpoo i can see it from my bedroom in Liverpool its in Bolton its over an hours drive away from me

[stealth1692]

@Chewbaxter u can get to the mast but there are signs that say no tresspassing but most of the time i cycle up there

[GanEdenAustralia]

there pronounced as 'therr' LOL