Monument record MDO5389 - Telegraph station, Alderholt

Enclosures and platform, the remains of an early 19th century semaphore telegraph between London, Portsmouth and Plymouth. The rectangular enclosure is marked on the OS 1st edition map and is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs taken in 1946. It was digitally plotted during the Dorset Stour NMP.

(1) '… submitted to the Admiralty in 1795 by Lord George Murray, and adopted between London and Dover in the following year. This consisted of six shutters, arranged in two vertical rows with an internal space, in which worked the ropes and pulleys which controlled the shutters. This plan was modified in 1805 by Davis, who adapted to the frame signal lights for use by night. His idea was, however, not generally carried out, certainly not in Dorset, I believe. The ball once set going, numerous were the inventions for increasing the efficiency of the instrument; but as they mostly added to the complexity of the arrangement they were not often adopted. In fact, all the shutter machines were in 1816 superseded by the Semaphore of Sir Home Popham, which consisted of a simple mast with two moveable arms. The use of this was continued until December 31st, 1847, when it gave place to that necessity of modern society - the Electric Telegraph ..Of the original Murray Telegraph, such as sumounted so many of our Dorset hills, I fortunately found a contemporaneous drawing, which I have the honour to exhibit to the Club. It represents the erection which in my grandfather's time (he occupied the home farm at Minterne) stood on High Stoy. The shutters are painted black with a white spot (or possibly open space) in the centre, and for rapidity of working are divided into three. Ropes attached to the cranks which actuate the shutters pass through the roof of the building to the operating room underneath. It is, I have no doubt, a correct representaition of the official Telegraph,,, At the back of the drawing will be found a diagram showing the number of changes that might be made by displaying all the shutters simultaneously, some being vertical , and therefore visible, the others horizontal, and presenting only a thin edge to the sight, practically invisible. The number of changes obtainable is 63, which would suffice for the letters of the alphabet, the numerals, and certain commonly recurring words and phrases.'

The Telegraph in Dorset before the Days of Electricity by Mr T B Groves FCS

Pistle Hill; a station on the Admiralty Shutter Telegraph system to Plymouth, 1806. The adjoining stations are Bramshaw to the east
(SU 21 NW 9) and Chalbury to the west (SU 00 NW 10). The system ceased operation in September 1814.<4>

The rectangular enclosure (50m by 36m) is marked on the OS 1st edition map and is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs taken in 1946 <5>. It was digitally plotted during the Dorset Stour NMP.

<1> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1890, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club, 135-141 (Serial). SDO6.

<2> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1938 (Map). SWX1540.

(SU 093110) Telegraph (Remains of) (NAT)

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1975, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume V (East), 2 (Monograph). SDO129.

'(12) ENCLOSURE AND PLATFORM (09281105), in Telegraph Plantation, 2/3 mile S. of (2) lie just above the 300 ft. contour on a prominent hill and are the remains of a station in the early 19th-century semaphore telegraph between London, Portsmouth and Plymouth (Dorset Procs., XI (1890), 135). The station is represented by a low bank, much damaged by trees, bounding an area 40 yds. By 50 yds. At the centre of the area is a platform 30 ft. square. (Cf. CHALBURY (4), p. 3.)'

<4> Wilson, G, 1976, The Old Telegraphs, 25, 31 map 10 (Monograph). SWX8165.

<5> Royal Air Force, 12-DEC-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1893 RS 3055-6 (Aerial Photograph). SDO15471.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 213693 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Mar 3 2022 10:32AM