In 1946 Herstmonceux was chosen form a shortlist of five suitable locations. It was six miles from the sea in glorious, quiet Sussex countryside. It was also far enough away from towns to offer a sanctuary from light pollution. The site covered 370 acres. The castle, which was 500 years old when it was taken over, was the oldest brick building in southern England. It was built by King Henry VI. The castle became the home for offices, dining rooms, meeting rooms, library and overnight accommodation for the astronomers who worked the telescopes. It had however fallen into disrepair and was extensively restored, but due to post war shortages and local planning issues, was not completed until 1958. The original title 'Royal Observatory, Greenwich' as decreed by King George VI, was changed to 'Royal Greenwich Observatory, Herstmonceux'. The site was home to the Nautical Almanac Office and the Time Department. Until 1990 the BBC linked to Herstmonceux several times a day to get the 'pips' which were relayed to the nation (indeed the world) every hour. Patrick Moore had played a role in the 1960s in mapping the moon prior to the Apollo landing. But newer telescopes were being built at higher altitudes elsewhere in the world to escape spreading pollution. Despite campaigns to keep the observatory open, it moved to Cambridge in 1990 (minus the telescopes) - Cambridge now houses only the offices and no observations are carried out there. Patrick Moore described the loss as 'One of the worst pieces of scientific vandalism in modern times'. The site was bought by developers, much to the opposition of local people, to turn into a country hotel. Fortunately the developer went bankrupt and the site was eventually donated to Queen's University, Ontario Canada by Alfred Bader.