User:Basspoint/sandbox

Marconi built the Lizard Wireless station in 1900-1901 as a test site for his Poldhu station and one of the world’s first coastal wireless stations to bring ashore his telegraphy service to ships. He made the equipment and trained the operators, renting both to the shipping companies. LWS was the shore side of it. It used the callsign ‘LD’ but when the Post Office took it over in 1908 they put a ‘G’ in front making it ‘GLD’. The Station closed in 1913 when the Post Office built a new station at St. Just which became the world famous Lands End Radio / GLD, well known to sea going radio officers.

Lizard Wireless Station received the first SOS distress call to a British Coast Radio Station. That came from the S.S. Minehaha which grounded on rocks on the Scillies in thick fog in 1910.

In 1999 the National Trust restored LWS with money from Enterprise Neptune and today it is open to the public. It is mainly staffed by NT volunteers. We operate special events from there using the callsign GB4LD.