HMS Forest Moor

HMS Forest Moor was a Royal Navy land base located in Nidderdale in the borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England.^[2]

HMS Forest Moor aerial
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Forest Moor
Commissioned	October 1960^[1]
Decommissioned	November 2003
General characteristics
Class and type	Stone frigate
Notes	40 acres (16 ha)

History

The establishment was first used as one of the Second World War intelligence units, or Y-stations.^[2]

In 1960 it became the Royal Navy's major high frequency (HF) receiver station,^[2] its primary function was to route HF signals from locations abroad to military bases and command centres in the UK.^[3] The base was manned by a small group of Royal Naval radio operators and electricians (approximately six to a shift).

This centre provided HF comms receiver links to bases in the Indian Ocean, Mediterranean, Canada and a RATT ship/shore receiver link to warships at sea. Transmitters were located at HMS Inskip in Lancashire.^{[citation needed]}

It also had a small ships company (including an RPO, a PO Caterer and chefs) for the day-to-day running of the establishment, including three civilian drivers.^{[citation needed]}

HMS Forest Moor was also the setting of a short-lived YTV comedy Thundercloud starring James Cosmo on a stone frigate which the Royal Navy confuse with an actual ship.^[4][5]

In 2003 it was transferred to VT Communications (now Babcock International) under a PPP contract to provide HF communications to the Ministry of Defence via the Defence Communication Services Agency. It is now operated by civilian personnel, from a 190-acre (78 ha)^[6] site on Meagill Lane adjacent to the old Forest Moor site.^[7]

In 2010, the site was disposed of by Defence Estates to North Yorkshire County Council for £4.7 million.^[8] The site has been converted to a school for children with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties.^[9][10]

References

1. "Stories from our archive". Wharfedale Observer. 7 October 2010. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
2. . Navy News. 17 November 2003. Archived from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
3. "North Yorkshire County Council DE Forest Moor Cultural Heritage Assessment DRAFT" (PDF). Archaeology Data Service. Jacobs. October 2008. p. 13. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
4. "Thundercloud". Nostalgia Central. 30 August 2009.
5. "Thundercloud". British Comedy Guide.
6. "Estate Baseline 2009" (PDF). gov. Ministry of Defence. 3 July 2009. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
7. "North Yorkshire County Council DE Forest Moor Cultural Heritage Assessment DRAFT" (PDF). Archaeology Data Service. Jacobs. October 2008. p. 14. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
8. Hayes, Julie (22 July 2010). "MoD site sold to become special needs school". York Press. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
9. "Special school in pipeline at HMS Forest Moor site". Harrogate Advertiser. 12 February 2009. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
10. "Foremost School in Harrogate renamed Forest Moor School". BBC News. 30 September 2014. Retrieved 3 October 2016.

External links

54°0′42″N 1°43′16″W / 54.01167°N 1.72111°W / 54.01167; -1.72111