History

The link from Wickhambrook to Manningtree was relatively short-lived. The BBC established a VHF television transmitter in 1962 to cover areas around Colchester, Ipswich and the coast between Clacton and Felixstowe which was not served by the main station at Tacolneston. The programme feed was provided by Post Office link from Wickhambrook.

The Wickhambrook site also provided the feed for Tacolneston by this stage, releasing the equipment formerly used for the Depden - Tacolneston link. This was redeployed; we believe it still operated as a "Direct Pick Up" link but now receiving Tacolneston rather than the London transmitter. The option of splitting the incoming feed at Wickhambrook was not feasible since local programmes from Norwich would not be available there. Archive documents suggest a dish was added to the BBC mast at Manningtree.

The equipment originally entered service in 1955 and a budget of Â1000 was included in Post Office estimates for 1966-67 "Wickhambrook - Manningtree Radio Link Replacement [...] equipment which has reached the end of its useful life." In the event, the Post Office link was withdrawn following the addition of a further transmitter at Aldeburgh in December 1967: the BBC was permitted to install its own microwave link from Tacolneston to Aldburgh and to extend this to Manningtree.