History
Purdown, as "Bristol", is shown on the 1959 Network map with "programmed" routes to Wenallt and Wotton-under-Edge and an "existing or under construction" route running via "Mendips" (East Harptree) towards Exeter and Plymouth. The latter was provided initially for Westward Television. A further link from Birmingham was "planned", via Wotton-under-Edge.
The Westward link was provided by cable from London to Bristol since other routes were not available. It is possible temporary provision was required at Purdown for the start of service in April 1961. Purdown became a more signifcant site during the mid to late 1960s once the SHF routes from London and towards Cardiff (Wenallt) became available. A further link to Penhill (the "Mendip" television transmitter) was operational by 1969.
The site is on a triangular plot marked "Purdown Camp" on early 1950s OS plans and adjacent to a WWII Anti-Aircraft battery. Some sources refer to "Pur Down" although it seems the single-word version is "correct".
BT Archives has photos dated 1961 showing a steel tower being erected - a building of the standard type was also in place. The tower was of the "pyramid" style used on the route to Plymouth however a 1967 Specification for the addition of further antennas includes reference to a drawing "Purdown tower - additional top section 146' to 174' 6" ". Photographs dated 1968 show a parallel section at the top of the structure with a dish near the top facing Wenallt. Two "small" horns at relatively low level faced Wotton-under-Edge with dishes used for the other links. It seems unlikely there was a route to Birmingham at this stage.
Work on the concrete tower was underway by the autum of 1969, with the new structure positioned north east of the original tower. Line of sight to Wotton-under-Edge was presumably maintained however a short lattice structure adjacent to the original tower is shown in 1970 photos carrying a dish apparently facing Wotton. The new tower is of similar design to Morborne Hill and does not seem to have been designed to carry horn antennas - which had fallen from favour by the late 1960s. The main reason for the development appears to have been for future expansion, including the route to Birmingham via Cinderford.
By the mid-1980s the tower was probably approaching full capacity with digital 11 GHz links added. The main dishes were removed around 2008 but the structure remains in usem including for broadcasting on FM and DAB and by mobile phone operators for local coverage and linking. Purdown has its own Flickr group and seems to have been accepted and adopted by the locals as an icon for Bristol, known as the "Cups and Saucers".
