Linton Falls – Scheduled Ancient Monument, Hydro power scheme
J N Bentley Ltd will be undertaking the repair and conversion of the existing turbine house at Linton Falls, Grassington, North Yorkshire in 2011 to once again produce electricity.
The scheme seeks to provide a hydro-electric generating plant on this site to re-establish the original purpose of this semi-derelict building and to deliver power into the National Grid on a commercial basis. The site was originally developed by the Grassington Electric Supply Company Ltd., set up in 1909, and provided electricity (principally for domestic lighting) to the villages of Grassington and later Threshfield.
The project is being carried out on a commercial basis and the requirement for the restored power plant to generate sufficient electricity to create an income of sufficient magnitude to justify the investment in renovation is fundamental. To this end the restored installation will install twin Archimedean screw turbines rather than reinstating turbines of the original models, which are not commercially available and are of insufficient power to create the income to fund the conservation works to the site.
The site at Linton Falls is located on the River Wharfe approximately 1km south of the village of Grassington.
The weir is approximately 40m wide with a sloping face and was originally built to provide a head of water for a now demolished textile mill at Linton Falls. At the southern end are the remains of the old turbine house where the Grassington electric company operated hydroelectric turbines until the arrival of the national grid. The building is derelict, and both the weir and the old turbine house are a scheduled ancient monument.
Bolton Percy Gatehouse.
Standing in the village of Bolton Percy on the outskirts of York, the once dilapidated gatehouse to a grand medieval rectory now earns its keep providing luxury accommodation to Yorkshire holiday makers.
Built around 500 years ago, Bolton Percy Gatehouse is a rare Yorkshire example of a timber-farmed medieval building. The gatehouse was dilapidated for much of the 20th century until it was extensively repaired in the 1970s, when it was converted to a parish room. Difficult access and a lack of facilities meant it was little used and its condition once again began to deteriorate to such an extent that, in 2003, it was placed on the English Heritage Buildings at Risk Register. In 2005, the Vivat Trust came to the rescue and worked hard to secure the funding to convert the Scheduled Monument to luxury holiday accommodation.
We have been involved with the project since 2008, providing support and grant aid of £85,000 towards the costs of repair and conversion of the gatehouse. Working closely with the Vivat Trust and the architect, we have helped to resolve design issues including the internal layout of the building, the installation of insulation, windows heating and sanitary facilities, and advice on suitable finishes.
The support and financial commitment from English Heritage also helped secure funding from other organisations including Yorkshire Forward, The Architectural Heritage Fund and The Country Houses Foundation
Queen Street School, Barton upon Humber
The Grade II* listed Queen Street School in North Lincolnshire was built in 1844 and represents the high water mark in the career of 19th century social reformer, Samuel Wilderspin (1792-1866).
It was Wilderspin who first introduced playgrounds to schools, along with other innovations like the classroom and teaching equipment, and taught children using pioneering methods which we now take for granted, but which seemed astonishing by the harsh 'workhouse' standards of the day.
Although he founded schools throughout the United Kingdom, Queen Street is the world's only surviving school and playground designed and used by Wilderspin.
An ambitious £1.9m restoration project has secured the future of the site. The scheme has been undertaken by the Queen Street School Preservation Trust and funding has come from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Yorkshire Forward, English Heritage, WREN Ltd, the SITA Trust and Glanford Buildings Preservation Trust.
The move comes after a 25 year campaign by local people to save the formerly derelict site and celebrate the achievements of the man dubbed the `father of modern schooling'. Work, which has taken two years to complete, has seen the school's historic fabric repaired and Wilderspin's original classroom and playground restored, creating a stunning new tourist attraction and community asset.
