Sound mirror photos on the BBC website

Black and white photos of the sound mirrors by Joe Pettet-Smith on the BBC News website.

More than 100 years ago acoustic mirrors along the coast of England were used to detect the sound of approaching German zeppelins.
{…]
Joe Pettet-Smith set out to photograph all the remaining structures following a conversation with his father, who told him about these large concrete structures dotted along the coastline between Brighton and Dover.

Source: The concrete blocks that once protected Britain, BBC News, 7 January 2019

Redcar sound mirror interview

BBC interview about the sound mirror in Redcar: “In 1916 it was sitting in open farm land. Since then a modern housing estate has grown up around it. The concrete structure has not always been treated well. When it stopped being used to detect German raids a farmer used it as a spot to store manure. There have been problems with bike enthusiasts using it as a ramp to practice their stunts.” Release date: 22 January 2014.

BBC on Spurn

The Kilnsea sound mirror got a mention on the BBC website:

… One legacy of the raids is the sound mirror, which still stands in a field just outside the village.

The large concave concrete dish acted as a primitive radar, amplifying engine sounds from distant Zeppelins so they could be heard by an operator, who would then send an air-raid warning inland by radio.

Source: World War One: Spurn Point’s military relics at sea’s mercy, 28 February 2014

(note that despite what the article says, the Spurn railway was standard gauge)

Kilnsea sound mirror on the BBC

A huge concrete dish, pointing at the North Sea from an East Yorkshire field, was once a vital part of Britain’s defence system says a BBC video about the Kilnsea acoustic mirror.

The interview with local historian Jan Crowther is part of the BBC Look North programme’s Abandoned series with Matt Richards.

Matt was recently in touch seeking information for a proposed broadcast about Drewton tunnel on the old Hull & Barnsley Railway.