Kilvey Hill
Encyclopedia
Kilvey Hill is a hill in Britain. It rises in south Wales, to the east of Swansea
city centre. Kilvey Hill is 193 metres (633 ft) high and is classed as a Sub Marilyn
. The top of Kilvey Hill enjoys panoramic views of Swansea city centre
, Swansea Docks
, Swansea Bay
, the Lower Swansea Valley
, Bon-y-maen
, Neath
and Port Talbot
.
There are a number of residential areas dotted around the base of the hill. To the north are Bon-y-maen
and Pentrechwyth
. To the south are Dan-y-graig, Port Tennant
and St. Thomas
. At the top of the hill is a transmission station. The central belt of the hill consists of woodland and open grassland which forms part of the Kilvey Community Woodland
. The hill is used to host a number of mountain biking events.
and for analogue and digital radio
services. It also features mobile phone masts from all five major UK networks including O2, Orange
, 3, Vodafone and T-Mobile. The hill's transmitters cater for the entire network of digital terrestrial and digital radio subscribers in the city and county of Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and possibly even further. The transmission station is owned and operated by Arqiva
.
Freeview digital terrestrial TV was already available at low power from this transmitter before the digital switchover process began, with the first stage taking place on Wednesday 12 August 2009. The second stage was completed on Wednesday 9 September 2009, with the transmitter becoming the first in Wales to complete digital switchover. After the switchover process, analogue channels ceased broadcasting permanently and the Freeview power increased from 383W ERP to 2000W ERP, a 7dB Power increase.
The only road access to the summit of the hill suitable for vehicles is via a steep concrete road which leads up to the summit from the village of Bon-y-maen
.
Analogue radio (VHF
Digital radio (DAB
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
city centre. Kilvey Hill is 193 metres (633 ft) high and is classed as a Sub Marilyn
Marilyn (hill)
A Marilyn is a mountain or hill in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland or Isle of Man with a relative height of at least 150 metres , regardless of absolute height or other merit...
. The top of Kilvey Hill enjoys panoramic views of Swansea city centre
Swansea city centre
Swansea city centre in Swansea, Wales, contains the main shopping, leisure and nightlife district in Swansea. The city centre covers much of the Castle ward including the area around Oxford Street, Castle Square, and the Quadrant Shopping Centre; Alexandra Road, High Street, Wind Street and the...
, Swansea Docks
Swansea docks
Swansea Docks is the collective name for several docks in Swansea, Wales. The Swansea docks are located immediately south east of Swansea city centre. In the mid-19th century the port was exporting 60% of the world's copper from factories situated in the Tawe valley...
, Swansea Bay
Swansea Bay
Swansea Bay is a bay on the Bristol Channel on the South Wales coast. Places on the bay include Mumbles, Swansea and Port Talbot. The River Neath, River Tawe, River Afan and Blackpill stream flow into the bay....
, the Lower Swansea Valley
Lower Swansea valley
The Lower Swansea valley is the lower half of the valley of the River Tawe in south Wales. It runs from approximately the level of Clydach down to Swansea docks, where it opens into Swansea Bay and the Bristol Channel...
, Bon-y-maen
Bon-y-maen
Bon-y-maen, sometimes spelt Bonymaen, is a community in Swansea, Wales located about north east of Swansea city centre. It falls within the Bonymaen ward. Immediately above Bon-y-maen on the top of Kilvey Hill is the main TV transmitter for Swansea. The local rugby team is Bonymaen RFC....
, Neath
Neath
Neath is a town and community situated in the principal area of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK with a population of approximately 45,898 in 2001...
and Port Talbot
Port Talbot
Port Talbot is a town in Neath Port Talbot, Wales. It had a population of 35,633 in 2001.-History:Port Talbot grew out of the original small port and market town of Aberafan , which belonged to the medieval Lords of Afan. The area of the parish of Margam lying on the west bank of the lower Afan...
.
There are a number of residential areas dotted around the base of the hill. To the north are Bon-y-maen
Bon-y-maen
Bon-y-maen, sometimes spelt Bonymaen, is a community in Swansea, Wales located about north east of Swansea city centre. It falls within the Bonymaen ward. Immediately above Bon-y-maen on the top of Kilvey Hill is the main TV transmitter for Swansea. The local rugby team is Bonymaen RFC....
and Pentrechwyth
Pentrechwyth
Pentrechwyth is a village in Swansea, Wales falling within the Bon-y-maen ward. The village approximates to the built up area around Jersey Road just uphill from the junction with the A4217 road and most recently the Copper Quarter development on the old Addis site....
. To the south are Dan-y-graig, Port Tennant
Port Tennant
Port Tennant is a suburban district of Swansea, Wales, falling within the St. Thomas ward. Port Tennant lies at the southern foot of Kilvey Hill just east of St. Thomas and is bounded by the Fabian Way to the south. It is a mostly residential area....
and St. Thomas
St. Thomas, Swansea
St Thomas is a suburban district and community in Swansea, Wales. It is a mainly residential area which lies east of Swansea city centre across the River Tawe and falls within the St Thomas ward. The southern boundary is formed by the Fabian Way...
. At the top of the hill is a transmission station. The central belt of the hill consists of woodland and open grassland which forms part of the Kilvey Community Woodland
Kilvey Community Woodland
The Kilvey Community Woodland is a designated nature reserve in Britain. It is located near the city of Swansea in south Wales.The park is managed by the Forestry Commission and the local council. It is a young woodland and a refuge for wildlife incorporating a variety of habitats including...
. The hill is used to host a number of mountain biking events.
Transmitters
At the hill's peak a large range of digital and analogue transmitters can be seen, although due to their sheer size these can also be seen from ground level. These transmitters provide services for analogue and digital terrestrial televisionDVB-T
DVB-T is an abbreviation for Digital Video Broadcasting — Terrestrial; it is the DVB European-based consortium standard for the broadcast transmission of digital terrestrial television that was first published in 1997 and first broadcast in the UK in 1998...
and for analogue and digital radio
Digital audio broadcasting
Digital Audio Broadcasting is a digital radio technology for broadcasting radio stations, used in several countries, particularly in Europe. As of 2006, approximately 1,000 stations worldwide broadcast in the DAB format....
services. It also features mobile phone masts from all five major UK networks including O2, Orange
Orange UK
Orange is a mobile network operator and internet service provider in the United Kingdom, which launched in 1994. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but was purchased by France Télécom in 2000, which then adopted the Orange brand for all its other mobile communications activities...
, 3, Vodafone and T-Mobile. The hill's transmitters cater for the entire network of digital terrestrial and digital radio subscribers in the city and county of Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and possibly even further. The transmission station is owned and operated by Arqiva
Arqiva
Arqiva is a telecommunications company which provides infrastructure and broadcast transmission facilities in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. The present company, with headquarters located at Crawley Court in the village of Crawley, Hampshire, was formed by National Grid Wireless...
.
Freeview digital terrestrial TV was already available at low power from this transmitter before the digital switchover process began, with the first stage taking place on Wednesday 12 August 2009. The second stage was completed on Wednesday 9 September 2009, with the transmitter becoming the first in Wales to complete digital switchover. After the switchover process, analogue channels ceased broadcasting permanently and the Freeview power increased from 383W ERP to 2000W ERP, a 7dB Power increase.
The only road access to the summit of the hill suitable for vehicles is via a steep concrete road which leads up to the summit from the village of Bon-y-maen
Bon-y-maen
Bon-y-maen, sometimes spelt Bonymaen, is a community in Swansea, Wales located about north east of Swansea city centre. It falls within the Bonymaen ward. Immediately above Bon-y-maen on the top of Kilvey Hill is the main TV transmitter for Swansea. The local rugby team is Bonymaen RFC....
.
Analogue radio (VHFVery high frequencyVery high frequency is the radio frequency range from 30 MHz to 300 MHz. Frequencies immediately below VHF are denoted High frequency , and the next higher frequencies are known as Ultra high frequency...
FMFrequency modulationIn telecommunications and signal processing, frequency modulation conveys information over a carrier wave by varying its instantaneous frequency. This contrasts with amplitude modulation, in which the amplitude of the carrier is varied while its frequency remains constant...
)
Frequency | kW | Service | Description |
---|---|---|---|
89.5 MHz | 0.925 | BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres... |
Adult contemporary music-led service |
91.7 MHz | 0.925 | BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation... |
Classical, jazz Jazz Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th... , world music and the arts |
93.9 MHz | 0.925 | BBC Radio Wales BBC Radio Wales BBC Radio Wales is the BBC's national radio station broadcasting to Wales in the English language. Operated by BBC Wales, it began broadcasting on 12 November 1978 following the demise of the old "Radio 4 Wales" when BBC Radio 4 became a national network and moved from medium wave to long wave... |
A music-led service, with talk and entertainment revolving around Wales |
94.6 MHz | 0.925 | BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the... |
Speech, news and current affairs |
96.4 MHz | 1.5 | The Wave | Contemporary and chart music Contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts... and information station for under 44s |
99.1 MHz | 0.925 | BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock... |
New and popular music Popular music Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local... , news, entertainment and talk |
101.3 MHz | 0.5 | Classic FM Classic FM (UK) Classic FM, one of the United Kingdom's three Independent National Radio stations, broadcasts classical music in a popular and accessible style.-Overview:... |
Classical music Classical music Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times... |
102.1 MHz | 1.25 | Bay Radio | Easy listening, adult-orientated |
104.2 MHz | 0.925 | BBC Radio Cymru BBC Radio Cymru BBC Radio Cymru is BBC Cymru's Welsh-language radio station, broadcasting throughout Wales from studios in Cardiff, Bangor, and Aberystwyth on FM since 1977. At the time of its launch it was one of the few FM-only radio services in the UK... |
Welsh language service |
106.0 MHz | 1 | Real Radio Real Radio Real Radio is a network of adult contemporary independent local radio stations in England, Scotland and Wales and is operated by . Each station broadcasts local breakfast through to drive time shows and network programming in the evening and through the night... |
Adult contemporary, news, entertainment and sports |
107.3 MHz | 1.25 | Nation Radio Nation Radio Nation Radio launched on 16 June 2008 as a regional radio station broadcasting to the South Wales area from Neath.Nation Radio took over the Ofcom broadcasting licence held by Xfm South Wales when GCap Media sold the station to Town and Country Broadcasting for an unspecified fee on 30 May 2008.... |
Rock music Rock music Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music... |
Digital radio (DABDigital audio broadcastingDigital Audio Broadcasting is a digital radio technology for broadcasting radio stations, used in several countries, particularly in Europe. As of 2006, approximately 1,000 stations worldwide broadcast in the DAB format....
)
Frequency | Block | kW | Operator |
---|---|---|---|
222.064 MHz | 11D | 1 | Digital One Digital One Digital One is a national commercial digital radio multiplex in the United Kingdom, owned by Arqiva. , the multiplex covers more than 90% of the populationfrom a total of 137 transmitters... |
223.936 MHz | 12A | 2 | Swansea SW Wales |
225.648 MHz | 12B | 10 | BBC National DAB |
227.360 MHz | 12C | 0.5 | MXR Severn Estuary MXR Severn Estuary MXR Severn Estuary is a regional commercial digital radio multiplex in the United Kingdom, which serves the West of England and South Wales, including Bristol, Bath, Weston-super-Mare, Cardiff, Newport, Swansea, the South Wales Valleys and north Somerset.... |
Analogue television
Kilvey Hill radiated all five UK terrestrial analogue television services at 10 kW until digital switchover on 9 September 2009. BBC Two Wales closed on 12 August 2009.Frequency | UHF | kW | Service |
---|---|---|---|
487.25 MHz | 23 | 10 | ITV1 Wales |
511.25 MHz | 26 | 10 | BBC Two Wales BBC Two Wales BBC Two Wales is the national variation of BBC Two for BBC Cymru Wales. It is broadcast to Wales from Broaadcasting House in Cardiff. The channel can opt out from the main BBC Two schedule to show Welsh made programming, however this is used less frequently than in the past.Between 5 November 2001... |
535.25 MHz | 29 | 10 | S4C S4C S4C , currently branded as S4/C, is a Welsh television channel broadcast from the capital, Cardiff. The first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking audience, it is the fifth oldest British television channel .The channel - initially broadcast on... |
567.25 MHz | 33 | 10 | BBC One Wales |
583.25 MHz | 35 | 10 | Channel 5 |
Digital television
Frequency | UHF | kW | Operator |
---|---|---|---|
482.0 MHz | 22 | 2 | Arqiva Arqiva Arqiva is a telecommunications company which provides infrastructure and broadcast transmission facilities in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. The present company, with headquarters located at Crawley Court in the village of Crawley, Hampshire, was formed by National Grid Wireless... A |
490.0 MHz | 23 | 2 | BBC BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff... A |
506.0 MHz | 25 | 2 | SDN S4C Digital Networks SDN is a company that operates Multiplex A, one of the six groups of channels on digital terrestrial television in the United Kingdom... |
514.0 MHz | 26 | 2 | Digital 3&4 Digital 3&4 Digital 3&4 is a consortium consisting of regional Channel 3 companies and Channel 4 Television Corporation, which operates a multiplex broadcasting from a number of transmitter sites in the UK, carrying television and radio channels from both ITV and Channel 4; however three per-cent of the... |
530.0 MHz | 28 | 2 | Arqiva B |
538.0 MHz | 29 | 2 | BBC B |
Before digital switchover
Frequency | UHF | kW | Operator |
---|---|---|---|
474.0 MHz | 21 | 0.1 | Arqiva Arqiva Arqiva is a telecommunications company which provides infrastructure and broadcast transmission facilities in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. The present company, with headquarters located at Crawley Court in the village of Crawley, Hampshire, was formed by National Grid Wireless... (Mux C) |
481.8 MHz | 22- | 0.6 | Digital 3&4 Digital 3&4 Digital 3&4 is a consortium consisting of regional Channel 3 companies and Channel 4 Television Corporation, which operates a multiplex broadcasting from a number of transmitter sites in the UK, carrying television and radio channels from both ITV and Channel 4; however three per-cent of the... (Mux 2) |
505.8 MHz | 25- | 0.6 | BBC BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff... (Mux 1) |
529.8 MHz | 28- | 0.3 | SDN S4C Digital Networks SDN is a company that operates Multiplex A, one of the six groups of channels on digital terrestrial television in the United Kingdom... (Mux A) |
553.8 MHz | 31- | 0.1 | Arqiva (Mux D) |
561.8 MHz | 32- | 0.6 | BBC (Mux B) |