Another day, another walk. Off in the distance another building that looks like a small mill or a pumphouse.
Both sides of the valley have slipped several times and look as though they will continue doing so
I posted a single photo in the general thread but it doesn't show the jaunty angle the building is in! Some tasty looking rusty stuff can be glimpsed and it's clearly not a mill.
The large doorway with the water flowing through looks almost like it's for a wheel but its part of the design to increase the nett head of water acting on the turbine. The outlet pipes are specified to give a suction effect. Often they'd just install the turbine on beams to give the space underneath but here that wouldn't have been practical.
The turbine is another Gilbert Gilkes & Co manufactured vortex. This one dates from 1903 and drove a dynamo to supply a local house with electricity. As usual the dynamo has gone - though the bottom part of its cradle remains on the machine bed.
Unusually one of the turbine covers has also been removed. The runner would have had value but not much compared to the kilos of copper from the dynamo and the machined valve plates which are easy to remove. Perhaps it had siezed.
The gap in the delivery pipe shows how far the building has moved
Broken vane adjustment linkage. If there is a common failure point on these turbines that is it. As long as the turbine is maintained to prevent binding they will last for years. There are quite a few of this type and similar age still in use.
Both sides of the valley have slipped several times and look as though they will continue doing so
I posted a single photo in the general thread but it doesn't show the jaunty angle the building is in! Some tasty looking rusty stuff can be glimpsed and it's clearly not a mill.
The large doorway with the water flowing through looks almost like it's for a wheel but its part of the design to increase the nett head of water acting on the turbine. The outlet pipes are specified to give a suction effect. Often they'd just install the turbine on beams to give the space underneath but here that wouldn't have been practical.
The turbine is another Gilbert Gilkes & Co manufactured vortex. This one dates from 1903 and drove a dynamo to supply a local house with electricity. As usual the dynamo has gone - though the bottom part of its cradle remains on the machine bed.
Unusually one of the turbine covers has also been removed. The runner would have had value but not much compared to the kilos of copper from the dynamo and the machined valve plates which are easy to remove. Perhaps it had siezed.
The gap in the delivery pipe shows how far the building has moved
Broken vane adjustment linkage. If there is a common failure point on these turbines that is it. As long as the turbine is maintained to prevent binding they will last for years. There are quite a few of this type and similar age still in use.
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