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Situated on a beautiful part of the Dorset coastline, SRDE used to sit proudly on Friars Cliff, the site of the first British military communications satellite. This government research and development establishment produced ground-breaking work on military communicatons from 1948-1980. Much of the technology invented here is being used today for worldwide communications.

SRDE was a government research and development establishment producing ground-breaking work on military communications from 1948 - 1980. 

SRDE was responsible for carrying out the research and development necessary to provide the Army with the means to pursue its normal fighting activities during the hours of darkness.

SRDE was primarily concerned with providing the Armed Forces with modern communication systems, which could involve extensive links extending around the world.

SRDE pioneered research into optical fibres - the means of rapid communication between telephones and a way of transporting signals for cable television.

SRDE researched the technology that has been developed for use in MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) machines, used in today's hospitals to see inside the human body.

The Friends of SRDE are former employees  collaborating to create a Local History Project to commemorate the work carried out by SRDE over the period from 1948 -1980.

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