Capenhurst
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Capenhurst is a village and civil parish in Cheshire, England on The Wirral Peninsula.
It is home to a uranium enrichment plant owned by Urenco Group.
In 1999 Channel 4 and Duncan Campbell revealed that a fifty metre high tower on the premises of the uranium enrichment plant had been used to intercept telephone calls transmitted by microwave between the British Telecom towers at Gwaenysgor, Clwyd, and Pale Heights, near Chester. The tower was built during 1989 and 1990 to intercept phone calls between the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom. (A temporary listening post was placed on the roof of the plant during 1988.) The main route for phone calls between Ireland and the UK was via the submarine fibre optic cable UK-Ireland 1 which reached the UK at Holyhead, Anglesey. From there the signals were transmitted by microwave.
Phone calls were monitored by GCHQ until 1998 when the Irish telecomunication system was changed.
The tower was demolished in 2004 because the government could not find a buyer.
- Copy of an article from the Independent Newspaper (UK) about the Capenhurst tower
- Photos of tower (including satellite)
- Centre for Public Integrity republishes Duncan Campbell piece on tower
- Guardian (UK) on a challenge to eavesdropping
- Alan Turnbull's page on the tower
- Richard Lamont's page on the tower
| Chester City District, Cheshire | |
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Principal Settlements |
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Civil Parishes |
Agden • Aldersey • Aldford • Ashton Hayes • Bache • Backford • Barrow • Barton • Beeston • Bickley • Bradley • Bridge Trafford • Broxton • Bruen Stapleford • Buerton • Burton • Burwardsley • Caldecott • Capenhurst • Carden • Caughall • Chester Castle • Chidlow • Chorlton • Chorlton-by-Backford • Chowley • Christleton • Church Shocklach • Churton by Aldford • Churton by Farndon • Churton Heath • Claverton • Clotton Hoofield • Clutton • Coddington • Cotton Abbotts • Cotton Edmunds • Crewe by Farndon • Croughton • Cuddington • Dodleston • Duckington • Duddon • Dunham-on-the-Hill • Eaton • Eccleston • Edge • Edgerley • Elton • Farndon • Foulk Stapleford • Golborne Bellow • Golborne David • Grafton • Great Boughton • Guilden Sutton • Hampton • Handley • Hapsford • Harthill • Hatton • Hockenhull • Hoole Village • Horton-by-Malpas • Horton-cum-Peel • Huntington • Huxley • Iddinshall • Kelsall • Kings Marsh • Larkton • Lea Newbold • Lea-by-Backford • Ledsham • Little Stanney • Littleton • Lower Kinnerton • Macefen • Malpas • Marlston-cum-Lache • Mickle Trafford • Mollington • Moston • Mouldsworth • Newton by Malpas • Newton-by-Tattenhall • Oldcastle • Overton • Picton • Poulton • Prior's Heys • Puddington • Pulford • Rowton • Saighton • Saughall • Shocklach Oviatt • Shotwick • Shotwick Park • Stockton • Stoke • Stretton • Tarvin • Tattenhall • Thornton-le-Moors • Threapwood • Tilston • Tilstone Fearnall • Tiverton • Tushingham cum Grindley • Upton-by-Chester • Waverton • Wervin • Wigland • Willington • Wimbolds Trafford • Woodbank • Wychough |
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Unparished Area |
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| Unitary authorities: | Halton • Warrington |
| Boroughs/Districts: | Chester City • Congleton • Crewe and Nantwich • Ellesmere Port and Neston • Macclesfield • Vale Royal |
| Cities/Towns: | Alsager • Bollington • Chester • Congleton • Crewe • Ellesmere Port • Frodsham • Knutsford • Macclesfield • Middlewich • Nantwich • Neston • Northwich • Runcorn • Sandbach • Warrington • Widnes • Wilmslow • Winsford See also: List of civil parishes in Cheshire |