Paul Wells of doverpast.co.uk has found something in Gibraltar which looks rather like a sound mirror. But is it, or is it something else?
Author: Andrew Grantham
Last Denge sound mirror guided walk of 2008
Sunday 14 September is the final chance in 2008 to visit the Sounds Mirrors at Lade Pit, near Dungeness.
The walk will be led by Dr Scarth, the world’s expert on sound mirrors and author of the book Echoes from the Sky, who will tell the fascinating story behind them.
The meeting point is at 2pm in Lade car park opposite Taylor Road on Coast Drive, approximately half way between the Pilot Pub and Romney Sands (grid reference TR 085 208).
There is no charge, but donations are appreciated. No booking is required.
See the Romney Marsh Countryside Project website for details.
Il Widna – the Maltese sound mirror
The only sound mirror to be built outside England is a 200 foot example in Malta. When I visited the country earlier this year, I couldn’t miss out on the chance to go to see it.
Here are some photos and some background details of its history, and also details of how to find it.
Sound Mirror, Fullwell, Sunderland
A recent photo of the Sunderland sound mirror, by Phil Thirkell.
Microphone array for wind tunnel testing
There is a reference to sound mirrors (and this website!) in the University of Florida’s Journal of Undergraduate Research, Volume 9, Issue 2. November/December 2007.
Nikolas Zawodny’s paper on the Design and Fabrication of a Phased Acoustic Array to Analyze Noise Generation of Aircraft Components does what it says on the tin, though there appears to be lots of hard sums involved.
Early techniques of airframe noise analysis involved the concept of an “acoustic mirror,” which consisted of a single microphone positioned in the acoustic far field of a large concave elliptical mirror. The origin of acoustic mirrors can be traced back to the north and southeast coasts of England in the early 1920s, where they were used to provide early warning of incoming enemy aircraft planning to attack coastal towns. These coastal “listening ears” were eventually rendered obsolete with the development of faster aircraft and the invention of radar.
The date is actually slightly out, as some mirrors were built during World War I.
Stone ears teach people to shout through the English Channel
A Russian-language page on the Autogena proposal for modern cross-Channel sound mirrors, with some rather familiar looking photos. “????????? ???” seems to be listening ear, and “???????? ???????” is sound wall. Google translates the title of the article as “Stone ears teach people to shout through the English Channel”.
The vodka is good, but the meat is rotten?
Warden Point mirror before the collapse
Paul Prior has supplied an old photograph, possibly taken circa 1969-70, showing the sound mirror at Warden Point near Leysdown on the Isle of Sheppey.
The picture was taken before the cliffs were eroded so far that the mirror fell onto the beach below, which is thought to have happened in about 1978-79.
The mirror is on the extreme left of the picture. The design is similar to the mirrors at Selsey and in the northeast, suggesting a First World War date for its construction.
“A Forest” by Blank & Jones
German musicians Blank & Jones used the Denge sound mirrors in the video for their song A Forest, which can be viewed on YouTube.
It had to happen – the Ghanaian sound mirror scam
Hurrah, I’ve got a [presumably sound] mirror 419 scam e-mail via the website. I’m sorely tempted to try to sell “Mr Curtis Taylor” a 200 foot mirror, slightly used.
Hello,
Am Mr.Curtis Taylor and will like to place an order regarding some Mirrors from your company to a firm work in Ghana. I will appreciate you email me back with the sizes that you have instock as well as their price ranges and also your terms of payments as well.I will like to be one of your honest customer’s and hope you answer to my request ASAP.Dont hesitate to email me back.Thank you very much and waiting for your prompt responds.Best Regards,
Mr.Curtis Taylor.
Hythe sound mirror pictures
Paul Sheersmith went to Hythe in Kent on May 7, and took these photos of the sound mirror there.
Another correspondent writes with news of about a recent trip to the Hythe sound mirror:
I intended to go for a walk by the military canal near Hythe today, but was diverted by the sight of the mirror still standing above the Pennypot estate – so decided to clamber up there.
Very overgrown near the top – could not walk around the back as the stinging nettles were too high. However fascinating to see – so have been hunting for some more information about them this evening. Remember seeing something on ‘Coast‘ sometime ago.
Thanks for the info and the photos – unfortunately we did not have the camera with us today which is most unusual.