The UK's National Trust recently marked the 125th anniversary of the Lizard Wireless Station — the clifftop site that helped transform global communication — with a month of special on‑air activity and public openings throughout January.
The historic building, perched above the Atlantic at Britain’s most southerly point, first opened on January 1, 1901, becoming one of the world’s earliest commercial wireless telegraphy stations and enabling ships up to 80 miles away to communicate with land for the first time. It is reputed to be the last surviving Marconi station and has been restored to its original form.
Just weeks later, on January 23, 1901, the station achieved a groundbreaking feat: receiving a wireless signal sent from St Catherine’s Point on the Isle of Wight — conclusive proof that radio waves could follow the curvature of the Earth.
The breakthrough paved the way for Guglielmo Marconi’s landmark transatlantic transmission from Poldhu later that same year, establishing the foundations of long‑distance radio communication.
Today, the site remains a living piece of radio history. Cared for by the National Trust and run by dedicated volunteers, the station still operates as an amateur radio hub, connecting visitors and radio enthusiasts with the very landscape where pioneering experiments once took place.
During the anniversary month, the station’s original call sign will return to the airwaves, and visitors will be welcomed inside for rare behind‑the‑scenes tours.
Since 2017, the station’s amateur radio operations have been overseen by Geoff Bate, who stepped into the role after retiring in 2016. Geoff, who describes the station as a unique blend of 'location, history and people,' says meeting visitors and sharing its story remains one of the highlights of his work.
His duties range from equipment maintenance to managing access to masts and aerials, as well as helping amateur radio operators who travel specifically to broadcast from the historic site.
Inside, one room has been recreated to show what the equipment would have looked like during Marconi’s era, while others display radio artefacts and house the modern amateur station still in active use.
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