Why is Lemsford Mill so special?
As part of the refurbishment and conversion of our new offices in 2005, and in response to the general upsurge in concern over climate change plus a desire to contribute to the provision of renewable energy, Ramblers Countrywide Holidays have installed a new waterwheel for the purpose of generating electricity by hydropower. It uses the flow of the River Lea which runs through the building. This is one of the first of its kind to generate electricity in Britain.
We are now actively using our electricity to run our modern office technology with the knowledge that we are using a very time-tested method to produce it. Any remainder electricity that is generated goes into the Grid via a link from the Mill to a nearby electricity sub-station. This will pay back the cost of the wheel installation over time.
Being openly committed to a policy of Responsible Tourism, the prospect of providing clean and renewable energy at our new offices at Lemsford Mill, using ‘old’ technology, was very attractive to us and seen as an opportunity not to be missed both for ourselves and to benefit the environment.
The hydro wheel
The Mill dates back as far as the Domesday Book, having had many owners over the centuries. Flour was milled up to 1911 and apparently the old wheel was then adapted to generate some electricity, making the Mill House one of the earliest houses in the area to have electricity. The old wooden wheel was subsequently removed and the building stood with an empty wheel-pit for many decades.
Investigations into a form of hydropower at the Mill commenced in 2004. After much research and a visit by company representatives to waterwheel sites in southern Germany, it was established that a metal wheel with shaped wooden paddles would produce the required efficiency to make the project economically viable over time and provide a visible showpiece for the Mill interior. Such wheels are not manufactured in Britain so a German company, HydroWatt, was commissioned to build the wheel and supply the necessary gearing and electrical equipment for it to generate electricity.
The wheel arrived in early August 2005. Then after two weeks of meticulous assembly by the German engineers the new wheel turned and was successfully tested for the first time on 25th August. Despite some of the lowest flows ever recorded in the river during the winter and summer of 2005/2006, the wheel has so far generated 90,000 kilowatt hours of renewable energy. Generally this has meant that over half of the total electricity demand of the offices during a typical working day has been met, with some export to the Grid during periods when the offices are not occupied.
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