The Cavendish Laboratory pioneered in radio astronomy under the direction of Professor Sir Martin Ryle, F.R.S. from 1945 to 1982. The first Observatory was on the outskirts of Cambridge. In 1957, through the generosity of Mullard Ltd. and with support from the Science Research Council, the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory (MRAO) was built 5 miles south-west of Cambridge, at Lord’s Bridge. The Observatory is operated by the Cavendish Laboratory, supported by the Science and Technology Facilities Council. The work of the MRAO was recognised by the award of the 1974 Nobel Prize for physics to Professor Ryle and Professor Hewish.
| geographic longitude: | 00° 02′ 20″ |
| geographic latitude: | 52° 09′ 59″ |
| altitude above sea level: | 24 m |
| diameter of Ryle telescope: | 8 element interferometer with elements of diameter of 13 meter on 4.8 km baseline |
| minimum elevation: | 0° |
| diameter of CAT telescope: | 3 element interferometer with elements of 0.7 meter diameter on 5 meter baseline |
| minimum elevation: | 30° |
| diameter of CLFST telescope: | 60 element interferometer on 4.6 km baseline |
| minimum elevation: | 0° |
| diameter of VSA telescope: | 14 element interferometer on few meter baseline |
| minimum elevation: | 55° |
| diameter of MERLIN element telescope: | 32 m |
| minimum elevation: | 2° |
Available observing mode: single dish, Multi-Element Radio-Linked Interferometer Network, MERLIN, Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI).
Frequencies used currently:
| Frequency band | Observing mode |
| 37.5 – 38.25 MHz | local interferometry |
| 79.25 – 80.25 MHz | single dish |
| 150.05 – 153 MHz | single dish, MERLIN |
| 322.0 -328.6 MHz | single dish |
| 406.1 – 410.0 MHz | single dish, MERLIN |
| 608.0 – 614.0 MHz | single dish, MERLIN |
| 1330.0 – 1400.0 MHz | single dish |
| 1400.0 – 1427.0 MHz | single dish, MERLIN |
| 2655.0 – 2690.0 MHz | single dish |
| 2690.0 – 2700.0 MHz | single dish |
| 4800.0 – 4990.0 MHz | single dish, MERLIN |
| 4990.0 – 5000.0 MHz | single dish, MERLIN |
| 14.47 – 14.50 GHz | single dish |
| 15.35 – 15.40 GHz | single dish |
| 22.01 – 22.21 GHz | single dish |
| 22.21 – 22.50 GHz | single dish, MERLIN |
| 23.60 – 24.00 GHz | single dish, MERLIN |
| 31.2 – 31.8 GHz | single dish |
Research programs: CLFST all sky survey (interferometry), scintillation studies, solar wind, mapping of radio sources, MERLIN, Very Long Baseline Interferometry, pulsars, spectral lines, continuum observations, cosmic microwave background research.