Olive and Popeye, charging up The Dales
Revisiting a renewable energy source from the past to power up a new housing development
Welcome! I’m Sarah Hartley and this is The Northern Eco weekly update. As you’ve received this newsletter then either you subscribed or someone forwarded it to you. If the latter, then you can click on this handy little button below to receive the newsletter at 7am every Tuesday.
Something a bit different today thanks to this guest post from Adele Marshall. Adele is nearing the end of her journalism studies at Darlington College and has been delving into the intricacies of hydroelectric power production to bring you this long read today. We’d both love to hear what you think so do feel free to comment or show your support with a like or share
Over to Adele……
Development well underway at historic Yore Mill
This four storey, grade II listed building is being converted into nine apartments and one commercial space. But this is no ordinary development - green electricity will be provided to the homes, using currently decommissioned water turbines.
The imposing building which overlooks Aysgarth falls, was originally built as a cotton mill in 1784, by Birkbecks of Settle. A stone race was created to channel water from the upper falls to a water wheel at the mill, which then powered machinery inside the factory.
Yore Mill was re-built in 1854 after it was destroyed by fire and two water turbines were installed in 1937. It continued to serve the community until 1958 when milling ceased and the building was used as a cattle food depot.
The building changed hands once again, and from 1969 the turbines fell into misuse.
Power production
In 2006, the couple who owned Yore Mill at the time, were granted a diversity fund to restore the generators. They were linked to the national grid and produced enough energy per day, to power more than 100 homes.
The 87-year-old water turbines, Olive and Popeye, will be reconditioned by property developer David Peacock to provide electricity to the restored building. The Gilkes and Gilchrist turbines were given their names when they were originally installed.
David said: “Hydro-electric is the greenest energy you can have. We’re going to produce it, then before it goes back into the grid, we’re going to send it upstairs to the apartments to charge the batteries, providing 10KW of power, per apartment.
“As well as private living accommodation, the building will include a working museum to showcase the mill’s original machinery, powered by water flow from the river Ure.
“There will be a ‘fish mesh’ installed, to make sure no little fish get caught up in the turbines.”
Chris Crewdson from ‘Gilkes, The Hydro and Pump Specialists’, the company which originally built and installed the two turbines said: “It’s wonderful that the machines will be up and running again.
“If the property uses heat pumps, the energy will be multiplied”, he added.
Victorian know-how
The production of electricity by hydropower dates to Victorian times, when the first house in the world was lit by hydropower. Cragside, in Northumberland, which is now a National Trust property, was home to Lord Armstrong. He made his fortune being an innovator of hydraulics.
Whilst electricity produced by water is a renewable energy, it does not come without controversy. Production of large-scale hydro plants are known to have negative, critical environmental impacts. Storage hydropower can interrupt the natural flow of river systems, which in turn affects the biodiversity of a river.
However, the refurbishment of two huge, impressive pumps, can surely only have a positive impact on the local community and those lucky enough to own a home within the walls of such an historical building.
The plan is that this micro hydropower plant, will be on display as part of the building’s small museum. Visitors will be able to watch first hand as the river flow gushes from the waterfall, down the stone race towards the turbines and then view the working machinery within the building itself.
The grandiose, high-profile building was dilapidated until David recently began the restoration. The luxury apartments will offer an opportunity to live within a piece of history, whilst looking out onto breath-taking views of Aysgarth falls.
Carla, from Marcus Alderson Estate Agent in Richmond, which is promoting the upcoming homes, said: “A century old turbine, back up and running to help fight the growing need to become more eco-friendly.
“Incorporating the turbine within the project of Yore Mill was an ingenious idea to meet both buyers’ demands and help to reduce the carbon footprint, enabling the Mill to become a modern version of its former self”, she added.
For more information on the development project, contact Carla Sweete at Marcus Alderson Estate Agent in Richmond info@marcusalderson.co.uk.
Enjoy more of Adele’s photograph’s from the site here.
The three most clicked links from last week were:
York and North Yorkshire Climate & Nature hustings
In other news
🌊 Liverpool has unveiled advanced proposals to build the world’s largest tidal power generator on the River Mersey. If it’s built, Mersey Tidal Power would become the largest tidal range scheme in the world. It would power more than 1 million homes for more than 120 years, reports Michelle Lewis at Electrek
🔌 Plans have been approved to build one of the country's biggest hydrogen refuelling stations in Bradford. Chris Young of the Local Democracy Reporting Service writes that Operator Hygen said the site could achieve the decarbonisation equivalent of removing 800 diesel-fuelled buses a day from West Yorkshire's roads.
🐏 Swaledale sheep breeding and farming with nature are the focus of a new series of the Voices From The Dales podcast, writes Hannah Chapman in the D&S.
Events
The Station Singers in Richmond will support the Save our Swale campaign group at their upcoming spring concert, Songs for a Fragile World on Saturday, April 13 at 6.30pm in St Mary’s Church, Richmond.
Everything Electric North, a three-day event promoting electric vehicles and green energy, will take place from May 24 to 26 at the Yorkshire Event Centre at the Great Yorkshire Showground.
SAVE THE DATE: We’re joining forces with Richmondshire Climate Action Partnership to host a People, Planet, Pint event on Wednesday, June 5 at the Buck Inn, Richmond. Reserve your free ticket here. (If you’re wondering what this is all about, take a look back to Meet the people pulling pints for the planet).
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