Anthorn is a village in Cumbria, England. It is situated on the south side of the Solway Firth

Solway Firth

The Solway Firth is a firth that forms part of the border between England and Scotland, between Cumbria and Dumfries and Galloway. It stretches from St Bees Head, just south of Whitehaven in Cumbria, to the Mull of Galloway, on the western end of Dumfries and Galloway. The Isle of Man is also very...

, on the Wampool

River Wampool

The River Wampool is a river flowing through north western Cumbria in England.The river is formed at Chalkfoot near East Curthwaite, above which it is known as Chalk Beck....

 estuary, about thirteen miles west of Carlisle. It is the location of the Anthorn radio station, broadcasting specialised low frequency signals for timekeeping and navigation.

History

Originally no more than a cluster of cottages and small farms on the shore, the village increased in size and importance in 1942, when an existing World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 landing strip was developed as HMS

Her Majesty's Ship

Her or His Majesty's Ship is the ship prefix used for ships of the navy in some monarchies, either formally or informally.-HMS:* In the British Royal Navy, it refers to the king or queen of the United Kingdom as appropriate at the time...

 Nuthatch, a Royal Naval Air Station. This closed in 1958, leaving only its powerful transmitter, but the associated housing development, larger than the original village itself and about a kilometre to the east, remains.

External links

• Anthorn History and photographs.