Whilst out and about on a family gathering at the "Mill House" pub, Belper, Derbyshire I had a quick chance to escape for a breath of fresh air! Wandering around the pub gardens i quickly spotted some old Industrial porn

With 10 minutes to spare I rushed back to the car to get my camera, and vanished into the undergrowth Now I did not know much about this place but what was certain was there was a lot of water flowing underground and around me! There was a lot of leats that open up at certain intervals around the pub, most of them come from the old closed "Milford Mill" across the road.
Wandering around a heard a buzzing sound coming from an old building hidden by bushes.
Scurrying around in the undergrowth in my "Sunday Best" was not really the best thing to do! But UE has to play somewhere

I scrambled up to the windows and looked in? Industrial porn A power generator buzzing away.
On getting back home and a bit of detective work it turns out to be an original 1930's Gilkes Low Head Water Turbine in still working order It was reconditioned in the 1990's by Derwent Hydroelectric Power Ltd.

A bit of history:

Milford Mill was where Derwent Hydro first began exporting electricity through the national grid, back in 1990. The main aspects of the scheme are very old, with the current generator, gearbox and turbine dating from the 1930s. The turbine is a Gilkes vertical shaft pit. Water reaches the turbine via a long leat that passes several hundred meters from the top weir and under some industrial premises (Milford Mill) and the A6, major road. It flows under the "Mill House" pub (site of old mill) and comes out beyond in two mill races further down, by the River Derwent.



Milford Mill now closed and abandoned? across the road from the pub! The whole area is alive with industrial porn Have to return soon for further investigation.



The Turbine house hidden in the undergrowth! Note the building date on the side it nestles behind the pub in part of there beer garden.



The 1930's Gilkes Low Head Water Turbine/Generator still in use! It produces apparently 180 KW!





The water flows from the leat into this big hole where the turbine is located

Apologies for the pics, but this was a quick UE in my Sunday best
Thanks for looking!