Cragside still lighting the way forward

Posted by The Journal on Oct 24, 09 12:24 PM in News

Cragside near Rothbury was the first house in the world to be lit using hydro-electric power in 1878 and plans are now under way to use water power to heat and light the building again.

One of the estate's original powerhouses set up by visionary Victorian industrialist Lord Armstrong is being examined and the team at the house - now owned by the National Trust - aim to have it working within three years.

Cragside, near Rothbury

The site at Barnfoot dates back to 1886 - a little later that the first Cragside powerhouse at Debden, which is on land not owned by the charity.

Cragside's landscape conservation and interpretation officer, Andrew Sawyer, said: "We're hoping to have a hydro system down at the power house where the original unit was, just a small hydro plant running down the original pipeline using a modern turbine.

"The problem is lining the original cast iron pipeline for the water running down - it's just a matter of getting that water supply to a turbine.

"It'll mainly be used to light and heat the building and keep the dehumidifier going."

The team is also in the early stages of looking at a larger-scale hydro development at the estate's Tumbleton Lake.

"We would like to have the systems as much as anything to reduce our carbon footprint," said Mr Sawyer.

"We are the home of green energy at Cragside. Lord Armstrong was passionate about hydro-electricity."

In 1879, the engineers behind the Niagara Falls hydro-system visited Cragside to see how it was done.

Lord Armstrong also was also interested in wind, solar and wave power but did not have the technology to harness it. Today, Cragside's entrance hut is lit via solar panels and the house's internal radio system is solar and wind-powered.

"We are always looking at ways to keep the spirit of Cragside alive," said Mr Sawyer.

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