Poldhu, Cornwall (1901) : bringing the world together

Poldhu was the spot chosen by Marconi to make the first transatlantic wireless transmission, because it stood directly opposite Cap Cod, where its sister radio station was being built.
He bought the land in 1900, and construction work began immediately. It was a massive project, which dwarfed anything he had built before. Around 400 wires were suspended in an inverted cone shape from twenty 200ft high masts.
Infuriatingly the system was blown down during a storm, so a temporary aerial was hastily set up, using two surviving masts, to let the transatlantic experiments carry on. The system was replaced with four wooden towers by the time the first 'official' transmission was made between King Edward VII and President Roosevelt.
The station came under government control in the First World War and closed in 1933. A small museum stands on the site now.