Goonhilly Downs

Just outside Goonhilly Downs, there’s a standing stone called a Menhir, which has been there for more than 5,000 years. It is thought to have been erected to aid communication with the heavenly gods. Goonhilly was once the world’s largest earth station with over 60 dishes pointing into space and was responsible for sending and receiving millions of telephone calls, TV pictures, faxes and internet connections around the globe; it was also the first earth station to receive ‘live’ TV images from America and broadcast Live Aid back in 1985, which became the most watched TV show in history. Some of these iconic satellite dishes have been removed, and the site has now been set aside to be redeveloped for use at the forefront of world-leading radio astronomy projects and space network communications. There are also plans to open a new Visitors Centre as an exciting space-themed attraction.

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